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Spielberg’s ‘Disclosure Day’ opens atop box office with $44 million debut

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Steven Spielberg’s return to large-scale science fiction paid off at the box office this weekend as “Disclosure Day” opened in first place with an estimated $44 million in domestic ticket sales.

The film exceeded industry projections that had placed its opening closer to $35 million, though some analysts noted that a movie of its size and cost may need a stronger long-term performance to become a major financial success.

“Disclosure Day,” a conspiracy thriller starring Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor, cost about $115 million to produce, with an additional $80 million spent on marketing. The film also earned $48.9 million internationally, bringing its worldwide opening weekend total to $92.9 million.

The movie marks a return to blockbuster filmmaking for Spielberg, whose recent projects have focused more on prestige dramas. Audience turnout reflected the director’s enduring appeal, with older moviegoers making up a significant share of ticket buyers. Nearly half of all domestic ticket sales came from premium large-format screens such as IMAX and similar theaters.

While critics generally responded favorably to the film, audience reactions were more mixed, leaving questions about how strongly it will hold up in the coming weeks. However, Spielberg’s films have historically demonstrated strong staying power at the box office.

Elsewhere, Focus Features’ horror sensation “Obsession” continued its remarkable run. The low-budget thriller earned another $19 million in its fifth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $188.3 million and its worldwide gross to $265 million. The film has now become the highest-grossing release in the distributor’s history.

Another horror hit, “Backrooms,” remained a strong performer with $12 million in its third weekend. The film has earned $160 million domestically and $262 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing movie ever released by A24.

Not every recent release fared as well. Paramount’s “Scary Movie” dropped 70% in its second weekend but still added $14.5 million, raising its domestic total to $84.5 million.

Amazon MGM’s “Masters of the Universe” suffered one of the steepest declines among major releases, falling 71% in its second weekend to $8.6 million. The film has earned just $84 million worldwide against a production budget approaching $200 million, putting it on track to become one of the year’s biggest box-office disappointments.

Disney’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” also continued to struggle, earning $4.7 million in its fourth weekend. The film has grossed $315 million worldwide but faces questions about profitability given its sizable budget.

Overall, Hollywood’s summer box office remains healthy. Domestic ticket sales are running 13% ahead of last year and are approaching pre-pandemic levels, with highly anticipated releases such as “Toy Story 5,” “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” still scheduled for later this summer.

Source: Variety

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