The New Mutantshas not only finally dropped after countless delays and behind the scenes issues, it is also the first majorstudio-backed film to get a theatrical releasesince theaters closed around the country. While it has not quite hit the ticket sales Disney expected, the movie currently boasts an impressive $7 million dollar opening weekend, making it the biggest debut so far in a post-Covid landscape.
For the longest time it seemed as thoughThe New Mutantsmight not hit theaters at all, with Disney choosing to take projects likeMulanover to Disney+ instead of holding out for a cinematic release. Once newsbroke that a VOD release wasn’t possible, however, it was only a matter of time until the film made its way to the big screen to some degree. It seems that all the effort wasn’t in vain, withThe New Mutantstopping an admittedly still recovering box office.
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$7 million may not seem like a whole lot, especially in comparison to thesmash success of other Marvel projects, butThe New Mutantsdid have quite a few things working against it. Between the studio issues, constant delays, and Coronavirus pandemic, it’s fair to say that $7 million isn’t too bad. Of course, it’s almost impossible to say what this means for the film industry as a whole, as the pandemic continues on with its unprecedented slowdown of practically every industry. Regardless, Disney’s President of Global Distribution was optimistic, stating “We’re encouraged by the results. We didn’t expect everyone to come back to the movies at once, but there’s clearly an appetite. It’s not a linear process. We have to stay fluid and work with the framework of this new reality.”
Even if it’s not much compared to past numbers, it came in well ahead of the competition, withUnhingedearning $2.6million, andBill and Ted Face the Musicmaking $1.06. Overall it’s a pretty small haul, but it does indicate that the theater industry is beginning to recover. Whether or not that recovery speeds up, slows down, or reverses is still in the hands of the pandemic, however, and it remains everyone’s responsibility to stay as safe and healthy as possible.
The New Mutantsis now available in open theaters across the country.
