Box Office: ‘Longlegs’ Still on Track to Set Neon Opening Record; ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ Drifts to $4.4 Million Opening Day as ‘Despicable Me 4’ Retains Lead

Gru and the Minions are continuing their box office reign, topping newcomers “Longlegs” and “Fly Me to the Moon.”

Universal and Illumination’s “Despicable Me 4” will retain the No. 1 spot in its second weekend of release after earning $13.6 million on Friday. The animated fourquel is looking at a three-day frame of $44 million, down 41% from its debut; the film will surpass $200 million at the domestic box office.

“Longlegs” is still creeping its way to the best opening weekend for Neon after scoring $10 million on Friday from 2,510 theaters — a figure that includes $3 million in Thursday previews. The indie scarer, starring Nicolas Cage as a terrifying serial killer and scream queen Maika Monroe as an FBI agent, is looking at a $20 to $23 million opening weekend.

Despite its “C+” grade on CinemaScore, which is pretty standard for horror films, director Osgood Perkins’ horror film has been earning mostly positive reviews from critics (it currently holds an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Variety chief film critic Peter DeBruge wrote in his “Longlegs” review, “Perkins understands that jump scares are but one of the pleasures of a successful horror movie (same goes for shotgun-toting figures creeping just out of focus in the background). Destabilizing audience expectations and relieving tension with unforeseen bursts of absurdity are every bit as important — both tactics he employs with expert precision.”

Also opening this weekend, Apple’s “Fly Me to the Moon” is launching to fifth place after earning $4.4 million on Friday from 3,356 locations, including $875,000 in previews. The romantic comedy led by Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson, which is being distributed by Sony, is projecting a $10 million weekend debut.

Although “Fly Me to the Moon” has garnered a generally positive reception from both audiences and critics (it holds an “A-” grade on CinemaScore and 67% on Rotten Tomatoes), the film is expected to open below its projections of $12 million. “Fly Me to the Moon” also cost more than $100 million to make, though Apple Original Films doesn’t seem to be overtly concerned about a film’s profitability during its theatrical run.

“A Quiet Place: Day One,” starring Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn, scared up $3.6 million on Friday. The prequel in Paramount’s post-apocalyptic horror series is looking at a fourth-place finish with $11.5 million in its third weekend of release.

More to come…