Spielberg's 'Disclosure Day' opens with $44M domestic, $93M globally as horror 'Obsession' surges again
Steven Spielberg's first summer movie in a decade, 'Disclosure Day,' led the domestic box office with $44 million this weekend, while indie horror 'Obsession' continued its record-breaking run.
A $44 million domestic start
"Disclosure Day" collected $44 million in North America from 3,824 theaters, with $48.9 million overseas for a global tally of $92.9 million. It is Spielberg's best opening for an original film, not adjusted for inflation. The sci-fi thriller, about a meteorologist and a cybersecurity expert uncovering government UFO secrets, stars Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor.
- Disclosure Day
- 44 $M
- Obsession
- 19 $M
- Scary Movie
- 14.5 $M
- Backrooms
- 11.2 $M
- Masters of the Universe
- 8.6 $M
Older audiences turn out, critics applaud
According to Universal distribution chief Jim Orr, the film "played very, very evenly across all of the U.S. and Canada" and saw no dip during the NBA finals game in New York.
Roughly 60% of ticket buyers were 35 or older, with 41% aged 45 and up. That older skew, Orr noted, points to a long summer run. Critics gave the film a fresh 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences were cooler with a "B" CinemaScore. The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey called it "exquisitely woven, capital 'E' entertainment".It did not come across as a coastal big-market movie. It resonated with everybody.
Yes, this is exquisitely woven, capital 'E' entertainment, that's funny and unabashedly sentimental in all the ways we expect Spielberg to be, with a particular action sequence primed to steal the breath out of your lungs.
Horror hits hold strong
Obsession, the low‑budget horror from YouTube comedian Curry Barker, rose to $19 million in its fifth weekend, marking its fourth consecutive increase. The Focus Features release has accumulated $188.3 million domestically and $265 million globally, becoming the distributor's highest‑grossing film ever. Scary Movie added $14.5 million, a steep 70% drop from its opening, but the $30 million parody has already earned $84.5 million in the U.S. and $173.1 million worldwide. Backrooms, A24's horror debut by 20‑year‑old YouTuber Kane Parsons, took $11.2 million in its fourth spot.
Masters of the Universe plunges, Michael nears milestone
Amazon MGM's "Masters of the Universe" fell 71% to $8.6 million domestically and $8.4 million internationally, casting doubt on its profitability. Meanwhile, the Michael Jackson biopic "Michael" added $21 million globally in its eighth frame to reach $932.2 million, on the verge of surpassing $950 million and eventually challenging "Oppenheimer" as the top‑grossing biopic.
The film cost $115 million to produce and $80 million to market, meaning it needs roughly $300 million worldwide to break even. Paul Dergarabedian of Rentrak said the opening was a "solid start" and noted that if it holds like other recent hits, the picture should be in good shape.
