Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One boasted a five-day debut of $80 million in North America, including $56.2 million for the weekend proper.
The Paramount and Skydance pic is the latest summer tentpole to come in behind expectations. Heading into the weekend, Dead Reckoning — starring Tom Cruise — had had been tracking to open to $90 million or more domestically. The movie cost nearly $300 million to produce before marketing.
If current projections are right, Dead Reckoning scored the best domestic opening of the franchise behind Mission: Impossible II, which posted a five-day debut of $78.5 million, not adjusted for inflation. Dead Reckoning opened Wednesday in order to give the film more runway before Barbie and Oppenheimer open on July 21.
So far, older adults are fueling Dead Reckoning, with 22 percent of all ticket buyers in the 55 or older bracket. The well-reviewed movie earned an A CinemaScore from audiences.
Overseas, Dead Reckoning opened to $155 million for a global bow of $235 million.
The seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise is directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The cast also includes Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg.
Cruise is a favorite of theater owners. He resisted putting 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick on streaming, and it ended up being the top-grossing domestic feature released in 2022 with $774.7 million domestic, for a total of $1.49 billion globally.
The new Mission: Impossible movie dealt with multiple setbacks caused by COVID-19.
Elsewhere, Angel Studios’ faith-based political thriller Sound of Freedom remains a force to reckon with. The movie pace No. 2 for the weekend with $25 million for an early domestic total of $83 million-plus.
Insidious: The Red Door fell to No. 3 in its sophomore outing with an estimated $13 million for a 10-day domestic tally of $58.1 million.
Disney and Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Pixar’s Elemental rounded out the top five.
