‘Novocaine’ leads numbingly slow weekend at domestic box office
Five new movies opened wide in North American theaters this weekend including a starry spy picture from Steven Soderbergh, an A24 thriller, a Looney Tunes movie and a high concept action-comedy with “The Boys” star Jack Quaid. But the myriad options did not result in box office gold. When final receipts are tallied Monday, it’s likely going be the lowest-grossing weekend of the year to date with around $54 million in total ticket sales. “Novocaine” led the pack with $8.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday, which was slightly lower than expected. The film starring Quaid as a man who literally can’t feel pain was released by Paramount Pictures in 3,365 locations this weekend. The studio also had early access showings the weekend prior, which are included in the total. The R-rated movie, directed by Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, got generally positive reviews with an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes. Exit polls were a bit more tempered with 4/5 on PostTrak and a B CinemaScore. It also made $1.8 million from 19 international territories bringing its total weekend to $10.5 million. The Bong Joon Ho and Robert Pattinson sci-fi “Mickey 17 ” and the spy pic “Black Bag” were neck and neck for second and third place, both reporting $7.5 million weekends. “Mickey 17,” still playing in 3,807 theaters, was down a steep 60% from its opening. That brings its domestic total to $33.3 million and its global total to $90.5 million against a reported $118 million budget. “Black Bag,” the well-reviewed Soderbergh film with Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, opened in 2,705 theaters. Audiences skewed male (56%) and over 35 (59%). The film, released by Focus Features, currently carries a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. It also got a B CinemaScore. Other new openers included “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie,” an animated film starring Porky Pig and Daffy Duck originally intended for the streaming service Max, and the faith based