The Devil ain’t bad enough for the King of Pop, as Michael reclaims this top slot this weekend as the holdovers simply didn’t show legs strong enough to beat it. It’s a lock for $300 million stateside, which bonkers when you think about how there was a time when it looked like this movie was never going to even be released. Worldwide, Michael is even more thrilling, boogying past the $700 million mark with a lot more left in the tank. Again, bonkers!
Meanwhile The Devil Wears Prada 2 got a taste of reality this week, bringing in a weaker than expected $18 million. Weep not for Meryl Streep as the sequel has already made $500 million globally. Far less successful, unfortunately, is Mortal Kombat II, which is simply underperforming. Warner Bros. had a lot of confidence in this one following some terrific test screening scores, but that seems to have backfired on them as they kept delaying the release date wanting to reach the broadest audience possible. In hindsight, it might’ve been smarter to strike when the iron was still hot. That said, Kombat II is going to become the highest grossing in the series by default when we don’t count for inflation, as the 1995 extravaganza–which was considered a massive success at the time–finished him at $70 million stateside.
The biggest story of the weekend, however, is Obsession. Not to be confused with the trashy 2009 Beyonce film Obsessed, Obsession is the second movie directed by a YouTuber this year to surprise at the box office, but unlike Iron Lung, critics actually like this one. Budgeted at less than $1 million and then acquired by Focus Features for a reported $15 million, the horror flick which annoying people online are insisting isn’t a horror flick surpassed tracking to the tune of $17 million. Also, just once, I’d like for there to be a film about someone who makes a seemingly innocent wish where the wish doesn’t spectacularly backfire.
The news isn’t as good for our newcomers. Guy Ritchie made a new movie which you probably didn’t even hear of, but it still managed to make more money than Is God Is, which is more like Isn’t God Isn’t.
Anyway, the top ten, via Box Office Mojo (note this chart doesn’t reflect weekend actuals)


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