The horror mystery Longlegs, featuring an FBI agent tracking a serial killer, made a remarkable debut, earning $22.6 million. This far outpaced the $10 million opening of the high-budget rom-com Fly Me to the Moon, starring Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson.
Longlegs benefited from stellar reviews and a chilling performance by Nicolas Cage. Neon, the film’s distributor, executed an innovative viral marketing campaign that included a retro ’90s-style website and a creepy phone line featuring Cage’s voice. This marketing strategy, reminiscent of successful campaigns like The Blair Witch Project, helped generate significant buzz for the film. Directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Maika Monroe, Longlegs set a new opening weekend record for Neon.
However, the weekend’s box office champion was Despicable Me 4, which retained its top spot with $44.6 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to $211.1 million. Universal and Illumination announced a new Minions spinoff slated for 2027, following the franchise’s recent milestone of surpassing $5 billion globally.
Fly Me to the Moon, directed by Greg Berlanti, features Tatum and Johansson as a NASA launch chief and a marketing guru who meet during the Apollo 11 mission. Despite its star power and positive reviews, the film’s $10 million opening placed it fifth at the box office. Apple Original Films financed the project, with Sony Pictures handling distribution. Apple’s strategy of theatrical releases to boost streaming viewership complicates traditional success metrics, but the company’s massive financial resources provide a buffer against theatrical losses.
The animated sequel Inside Out 2 secured third place with $20.8 million in its fifth weekend. The Disney and Pixar film has become the summer’s biggest hit, earning $572.6 million domestically and $1.35 billion worldwide, marking it as Pixar’s highest-grossing film.
A Quiet Place: Day One from Paramount came in fourth, adding $11.8 million to its domestic total of $116.2 million and surpassing $200 million globally.
A24’s Sing Sing, a prison drama starring Coleman Domingo, impressed in limited release, earning $137,119 from four screens. The film’s nationwide expansion is set for August. Meanwhile, Focus Features’ romantic drama Touch, directed by Baltasar Kormákur, grossed $470,000 from 315 theaters.
Last year’s box office leader, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, opened with $54.7 million. Despite a slower start this summer, hits like Despicable Me 4 and Inside Out 2 are helping close the gap, with ticket sales now down 16.2% compared to the previous year. Upcoming releases like Twisters and Deadpool & Wolverine are expected to boost revenues further.
