Highlights:
- New Line horror film Weapons earns approx. $5.7 million (£4.4M) in previews
- Disney’s Freakier Friday follows with $3.1 million (£2.4M)
- Weapons outpaces comparable horror releases including Final Destination: Bloodlines
- Freakier Friday posts strong family turnout and favourable audience response
- Weapons is currently outperforming early projections, aided by strong reviews
- Several other major films, including Fantastic Four and The Bad Guys 2, continue to chart in the top 5
New Line Cinema’s R-rated horror film Weapons, directed by Zach Cregger, launched with an estimated $5.7 million in US preview takings on Thursday (8 August), surpassing similar horror titles such as Final Destination: Bloodlines ($5.5M) and Sinners ($4.7M).
Disney’s family comedy sequel Freakier Friday, starring Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, recorded an estimated $3.1 million in previews.
While both films had been forecast to open at over $30 million, Weapons appears to be pulling ahead, with early industry tracking suggesting it may land in the low-to-mid $30 million range — or higher — for the weekend.
Audience breakdown and reception
According to Comscore/Screen Engine PostTrak, Weapons received a 65% definite recommend score and an average four-star rating. The audience skewed 60% male, with:
- 37% men over 25
- 23% women over 25
- 23% men under 25
- 17% women under 25
Freakier Friday drew a highly female-skewed audience at 71%, with 47% over 25. It was rated 4.5 stars by general audiences and 5 stars by children and parents. Viewer breakdown showed:
- 86% general audience
- 9% parents
- 6% children under 12
Release details and comparisons
Weapons played in 3,000 cinemas on Thursday, expanding to 3,200 by Friday morning. It also featured in IMAX screens. Disney’s Freakier Friday is booked in 3,975 cinemas, including 850 premium large format (PLF) screens and over 150 D-Box/motion screens.
The Freakier Friday preview compares closely to recent PG-rated releases, such as:
- Mean Girls (Paramount, $3.3M preview, $28.6M opening)
- Mufasa: The Lion King (Disney, $3.3M preview, $35.4M opening)
- Wonka (Warner Bros., $3.5M preview, $39M opening)
Rotten Tomatoes currently lists Freakier Friday at 73% certified fresh, though audience scores are not yet available.
- YouTube YouTube/ Disney
Weapons tracking ahead of comparable horror titles
According to Fandango, Weapons ranks as the second-best horror ticket pre-seller of the year, behind Sinners and ahead of Final Destination: Bloodlines. The film currently holds a 97% critic score and 90% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Whether Weapons can sustain momentum depends on weekend performance. Horror films often see sharp Friday-to-Saturday drops, but if the decline stays between -12% to -14%, it may indicate broader appeal beyond genre fans — similar to Us, Sinners, and Bloodlines.
Marketing for Weapons played up mystery elements, including a cryptic scene involving children fleeing bedrooms — which helped generate interest. The film’s unique preview time of 2:17pm references a plot-specific moment.
Top films at the US box office on Thursday
Other films performing strongly include:
- Fantastic Four (Disney) – $2.89M Thursday, $56.3M weekly total
- The Bad Guys 2 (Universal) – $2M Thursday, $33M weekly
- Naked Gun (Paramount) – $1.46M Thursday, $24.6M weekly
- Superman (Warner Bros.) – $1.43M Thursday, $21M weekly, $323.4M total
- Jurassic World Rebirth (Universal) – $798K Thursday, $13.1M weekly
- Together (NEON) – $581K Thursday, $10.5M weekly
- Sketch (Angel Studios) – $498K Thursday, $2.45M weekly
