Universal’s animated juggernaut refuses to step aside. “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” held the top spot on Friday with $7.4 million, setting itself up for a third straight weekend at number one despite a crowded slate of new arrivals fighting for screens.
The studio is targeting roughly $30 million across the three-day frame. If those projections hold, the sequel’s running domestic tally will cross $350 million by Sunday night.
Two fresh releases tried to crack the leaderboard. Neither caught the Mario train.
“Lee Cronin’s The Mummy,” the Warner Bros. and Atomic Monster reboot of the 1932 Karl Freund horror classic, pulled in $5.2 million on Friday from 3,304 theaters to land in third place. Industry watchers expect the film to wrap its debut weekend with around $12 million.
Cronin, who earned genre credibility with “Evil Dead Rise,” both wrote and directed this bloodier take on the legend. The story tracks a journalist and his wife searching for a daughter who vanished eight years earlier, eventually finding that something ancient and malevolent has taken hold of her. Jack Reynor and Laia Costa headline the cast, joined by May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Shylo Molina, and Billie Roy.
The other big debut came from Magnolia Pictures. “Normal” opened to an estimated $1.06 million across 2,060 theaters, good for seventh place on the daily chart. Rival studios are forecasting a $2.4 million opening weekend.
Bob Odenkirk anchors the film as a small-town sheriff whose investigation into a bank robbery pulls him into something considerably darker. Odenkirk co-wrote the script with Derek Kolstad, the “John Wick” architect. Ben Wheatley directs. The supporting cast runs deep, featuring Ryan Allen, Henry Winkler, Billy MacLellan, Lena Headey, and Reena Jolly.
Back to the main event. “Project Hail Mary” slotted into second with $5.22 million on Friday, nosing out “The Mummy” by the slimmest of margins. The sci-fi adaptation is on pace for $18.5 million by Sunday and a domestic total closing in on $283 million.
Holdovers filled out the rest of the top five.
“The Drama” earned $1.5 million in fourth on its third Friday in wide release. Kristoffer Borgli’s rom-com-thriller should bank another $4.7 million over the weekend, pushing the cumulative haul to roughly $39.5 million.
Rounding out the top five, “You, Me & Tuscany” added $1.1 million as it entered its second weekend. The romance is tracking toward $3.5 million for the frame and $14 million overall.
Cronin’s “Mummy” goes wider into Saturday and Sunday matinees, where horror often finds its audience. Odenkirk’s “Normal” hits a quieter platform. Mario keeps collecting coins.
