‘Now You See Me 3’ races past ‘The Running Man’ at box office

It’s no magic trick: the third installment in the thieving magician “Now You See Me” series outperformed the high-profile action film “The Running Man” at the North American box office this weekend.

Lionsgate’s *Now You See Me: Now You Don’t* pulled in $21.3 million, while Paramount’s *The Running Man* earned $17 million, according to studio estimates released Sunday. The latest *Now You See Me* installment, which cost a reported $90 million to produce, arrives almost 10 years after the second film. Including ticket sales from 64 international territories, its worldwide opening is estimated at around $75.5 million.

Going into the weekend, industry insiders expected a closer race between the two newcomers. The first two movies in the *Now You See Me* series, released in 2013 and 2016, collectively grossed over $686 million worldwide.

Directed by Ruben Fleischer, this latest chapter sees the return of the original “Four Horsemen”—Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and Dave Franco—while introducing three younger magicians played by Dominic Sessa, Ariana Greenblatt, and Justice Smith. A fourth film is already in the works.

Critics gave the film mixed reviews, with a 59% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. However, audiences were somewhat more positive: PostTrak polling showed 63% of moviegoers would definitely recommend *Now You See Me: Now You Don’t*. By comparison, *The Running Man* received a 58% “definitely recommend” score. Both films earned a B+ CinemaScore, but more viewers opted for the magician franchise.

One notable difference in demographics was gender: women made up 54% of the *Now You See Me* audience but accounted for only 37% of *The Running Man* ticket buyers.

*The Running Man*, directed and co-written by Edgar Wright, is the second adaptation of Stephen King’s 1982 novel. The first film adaptation, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, was released in 1987 to mixed reviews and a modest $38 million box office against a $27 million budget.

The new version stars Glen Powell, who has built a solid track record with box office hits like the romantic comedy *Anyone But You* and *Twisters*. Paramount Pictures released *The Running Man* in 3,400 domestic locations and 58 international markets. Worldwide, the film earned $28.2 million against a reported $110 million budget.

This weekend’s other new release, *Keeper*—the third feature from filmmaker Oz Perkins (*Longlegs*)—struggled at the box office, earning just $2.6 million and receiving a D+ CinemaScore. As an acquisition title for Neon, however, the film’s performance is not considered a disaster.

In third place, *Predator: Badlands* brought in $13 million in its second weekend, followed by *Regretting You* with $4 million in fourth place. *Black Phone 2* rounded out the top five with $2.7 million, pushing its domestic total to $74.7 million after five weeks in theaters.

In anticipation of the upcoming big-budget musical *Wicked: For Good*, which opens next week, Universal Pictures re-released *Wicked* in 2,195 theaters. The film made $1.2 million but narrowly missed the top 10.

Looking ahead, the box office is expected to see significant growth when *Wicked 2* hits theaters, followed by *Zootopia 2* just before the Thanksgiving holiday. Comscore’s Paul Dergarabedian predicted it could be one of the highest-grossing five-day Thanksgiving frames of all time.
https://mymotherlode.com/entertainment/10193558/now-you-see-me-3-races-past-the-running-man-at-box-office.html

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