Box Office: ‘Monkey Man’ Makes $1.4 Million in Previews, ‘First Omen’ Follows With $725,000
The horror prequel “The First Omen” and the action thriller “Monkey Man” arrive in theaters this weekend, but they’ll be no match for the mighty force of “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.”
20th Century Studios’ “The First Omen” opened with $725,000 in previews at the box office, while Universal’s “Monkey Man” opened a bit higher with $1.4 million.
More from Variety
It may be a close finish, but “The First Omen” is expected to pull away and finish in second place behind “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” The horror movie, a prequel to 1976’s classic “The Omen,” is projected to make between $14 million and $15 million in its opening weekend. “Monkey Man,” which was directed, co-written and stars Dev Patel, aims for a $12 million launch.
Last week’s box office champ, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” beat expectations and opened with a very strong $80 million. In its second weekend, Warner Bros. and Legendary’s Monsterverse sequel should make between $32 million and $36 million. It’s already surpassed $200 million at the worldwide box office.
“The First Omen” and “Monkey Man” will have to settle for second and third place, respectively, at the box office. Set in Rome in the early 1970s, “The First Omen” chronicles the birth of the Antichrist at a church. It stars Nell Tiger Free, Sonia Braga, Ralph Ineson, Bill Nighy and more.
Patel’s “Monkey Man” was originally planned for Netflix, but it got picked up by Universal and Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions. It’s a revenge tale set in India with Patel performing “John Wick”-levels of intense action.
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
