It might be no time to die for James Bond, but it’s definitely a time to get seriously wounded. The long-awaited 007 picture (and final entry of Daniel Craig in the franchise) No Time To Die failed to maintain the top spot for a second weekend, finding itself slayed by the newest chapter in the Halloween saga, Halloween Kills.
Cary Joji Fukunaga’s Bond picture dipped a substantial 56 percent to earn just $24.3 million at the domestic box office, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Comparatively, David Gordon Greene’s latest in the hallowed splatter series made a killing at $50.4 million.
The Jamie Lee Curtis-starring slasher had a budget of “just above $20 million” according to Variety—quite the difference from Bond’s reported $250 million. An added element to this theatrical success is that Halloween Kills is available to stream for subscribers on Peacock for a low, low price of just $4.99 per month. The huge business in theaters is, depending on your point of view, either a testament this demo’s desire to get out of the house, or just how few people actually subscribe to Peacock. No matter how you slice it, it is a considerable win.
No Time To Die’s earnings come with many explanations. Its 163 minute run time means fewer showings, and the likely audience for the film skews to an older crowd that may still be hesitant to return to theaters. There’s also my pet theory (which I can not exactly prove, but it just feels true to me) that the film’s ending leaves one with a case of bad vibes, and may be dampening the word-of-mouth on what’s otherwise a very good film. Either way, the movie is far from a dud, and is at around $400 million worldwide, and still has a shot to reach the studio’s $800 million goal.
But with these winners come losers, and this weekend that means Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, even boasting good reviews and the return of on-screen Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (plus Jodie Comer and Adam Driver.) The historical action-drama was unable to connect with ticket-buyers, and came in with a disastrous $4.8 million.
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