‘Novocaine’ leads numbingly slow weekend at domestic box office

Five new movies opened wide in North American theaters this weekend including a starry spy picture from Steven Soderbergh, an A24 thriller, a Looney Tunes movie and a high concept action-comedy with “The Boys” star Jack Quaid. But the myriad options did not result in box office gold. When final receipts are tallied Monday, it’s likely going be the lowest-grossing weekend of the year to date with around $54 million in total ticket sales.

“Novocaine” led the pack with $8.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, which was slightly lower than expected. The film starring Quaid as a man who literally can’t feel pain was released by Paramount Pictures in 3,365 locations this weekend. The studio also had early access showings the weekend prior, which are included in the total.

The R-rated movie, directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, got generally positive reviews with an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. Exit polls were a bit more tempered with 4/5 on PostTrak and a B CinemaScore. It also made $1.8 million from 19 international territories bringing its total weekend to $10.5 million.

The Bong Joon Ho and Robert Pattinson sci-fi “Mickey 17 ” and the spy pic “Black Bag” were neck and neck for second and third place, both reporting $7.5 million weekends. “Mickey 17” had the slight edge. It’s still playing in 3,807 theaters, was down a steep 60% from its opening. That brings its domestic total to $33.3 million and its global total to $90.5 million against a reported $118 million budget.

“Black Bag,” the well-reviewed Soderbergh film with Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, opened in 2,705 theaters to take third place. Audiences skewed male (56%) and over 35 (59%). The film, released by Focus Features, currently carries a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. It also got a B CinemaScore.

Other new openers included “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,” an animated film starring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck originally intended for the streaming service Max, and the faith based “The Last Supper.” Ketchup Entertainment handled the Looney Tunes theatrical release in 2,827 theaters where it earned $3.2 million. Pinnacle Peak Pictures released “The Last Supper” in 1,575 theaters to $2.8 million in ticket sales. Both came in behind Disney and Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World,” which earned $5.5 million in its fifth weekend in theaters.

The new A24 movie, “Opus,” opened outside of the top 10 with an estimated $1 million from 1,764 screens. Starring Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich as a legendary pop star who has suddenly reemerged on the scene after decades away, “Opus” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to generally poor reviews. It’s the first film from writer-director Mark Anthony Green.

After a strong start to the year in which the box office was up 22%, several slow weekends that haven’t surpassed $60 million in total ticket sales have left the domestic box office at a 5% deficit.

“It’s a momentum business,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It’ll ratchet up with ‘Snow White’ next weekend. And the good news is we probably won’t see the 50s again until August.”

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures releasing Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore.

1. “Novocaine,” $8.7 million.

2. “Mickey 17,” $7.5 million.

3. “Black Bag,” $7.5 million.

4. “Captain America: Brave New World,” $5.5 million.

5. “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,” $3.2 million.

6. “The Last Supper,” $2.8 million.

7. “Paddington in Peru,” $2.8 million.

8. “Dog Man,” $2.5 million.

9. “The Monkey,” $2.5 million.

10. “Last Breath,” $2.3 million.