Street Fighter leads cinema forecasts as four new films boost takings
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Four new films are expected to lift October cinema takings, with “Street Fighter” forecast to lead the North American box office. Its projected opening matters because the $82 million action film will need a sustained run to justify its cost, even though Legendary and Capcom shared financing and Paramount is handling distribution.
“Street Fighter” is expected to earn $25 million to $35 million in 3,500 cinemas, plus about $35 million overseas from 65 markets. “Whalefall”, which cost $60 million, is targeting $10 million to $12 million; A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary “You Can See Everything” could earn $7 million to $8 million from 800 locations on a budget of around $7 million. “Sense and Sensibility”, a $25 million adaptation starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Esmé Creed-Miles, is aiming for $5 million to $8 million.
- “Street Fighter” is projected to top the North American box office.
- The film is targeting $25 million to $35 million domestically.
- An Elizabeth Holmes documentary could earn up to $8 million.
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Street Fighter is a film series based on a video game in which fighters compete in martial arts contests. Its new screen version has a reported production budget of $82 million, so ticket sales over time will matter as well as its opening.
The other releases include Whalefall and Sense and Sensibility, a new adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel. You Can See Everything is a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, who founded blood-testing company Theranos; the company’s claims and collapse made her a prominent figure in a major US fraud case.
Film studios and cinemas watch opening-weekend takings to gauge audience interest, but those figures are only an early measure of a film’s prospects. Documentaries generally draw smaller cinema audiences than fictional films, so a strong turnout can make one stand out commercially.
Full account
Paramount’s Street Fighter reboot is forecast to lead North American cinemas this weekend, with estimates ranging from $25 million to $35 million. A second trade report puts the likely opening in the high $30 millions and expects a mid-$30 million start overseas, potentially bringing the worldwide debut close to $70 million or more. The film is booked in about 3,500 cinemas and has a substantial premium-format presence. Its PG-13 rating may help it reach younger viewers and families, a broader audience than the R-rated Mortal Kombat films.
Directed by Kitao Sakurai and starring Noah Centineo and Andrew Koji, the film follows two estranged fighters drawn into a tournament in 1993. Legendary and Capcom shared its reported $82 million production cost, while Paramount is distributing it. The project moved from Sony to Paramount after an earlier arrangement expired. It is the third film based on Capcom’s game series: the 1994 live-action version earned about $100 million worldwide, while 2009’s The Legend of Chun-Li took in $12.8 million against a reported $50 million budget. The new film will need a sustained cinema run to support its costs.
The other new releases are expected to attract smaller but distinct audiences. Disney’s survival thriller Whalefall is forecast to earn $10 million to $12 million from roughly 3,065 cinemas. Austin Abrams plays a scuba diver trapped inside a sperm whale with limited oxygen. The film reportedly cost $60 million, and early reviews have generally been favourable. A24’s You Can See Everything, a documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, is projected to take $7 million to $8 million from only 800 locations. Its reported $7 million production budget and strong advance interest have raised hopes it could become an unusually successful documentary. Focus Features’ Sense and Sensibility remake is expected to open with $5 million to $8 million across 2,436 screens.
The weekend also marks the first theatrical releases from the newly combined Paramount and Warner Bros operation: Street Fighter and a limited 4K re-release of Ken Russell’s 1971 film The Devils. The second report places the studios’ combined domestic box-office total at $941.6 million for the period from 1 January to 11 October, fourth behind Universal, Disney and Sony. It notes that the new company has several releases still to come this year, including Dune: Part 3 and The Cat in the Hat. Street Fighter is therefore being watched both as a major game adaptation and as an early title in the merged studios’ release slate.
The outlets differ most clearly in their opening forecast for Street Fighter: the first gives a broad $25 million to $35 million range, while the second anticipates a high-$30-million domestic start and a larger global opening. They also frame the film differently. The first stresses its budget, financial hurdles and the mixed record of earlier adaptations; the second focuses on the merged studios, the film’s international prospects, premium-format bookings and the possibility of reaching younger audiences. For You Can See Everything, the first report provides the $7 million to $8 million estimate and documentary comparisons, while the second does not discuss it in the supplied material.
Where outlets differ
Street Fighter’s North American estimate is $25 million to $35 million in Source 1, versus a high-$30-million opening in Source 2.
Source 1 gives detailed forecasts and production context for Whalefall, You Can See Everything and Sense and Sensibility. Source 2 instead concentrates on the studio merger and Street Fighter’s global prospects.
Source 1 emphasises Street Fighter’s budget and the commercial history of earlier adaptations; Source 2 highlights its PG-13 rating, premium-format footprint and potential appeal to a wider age range.
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Originally published by Variety as “Box Office: ‘Street Fighter’ Aims for $30 Million Opening, ‘You Can See Everything’ Could Score $8 Million Start”.