Buoyed by positive word-of-mouth as well as the power of nostalgia and horror, “Scary Movie” landed above expectations and cemented a record opening for the franchise. The sixth installment in the 25-year-old series overtook the benchmark held by 2006’s “Scary Movie 4” with $49.7 million (not adjusted for inflation). Miramax financed “Scary Movie” for $30 million, so the horror-comedy is poised to reap financial rewards. Globally, it has earned $105.5 million from 53 markets.

“Masters of the Universe” is based on the Mattel action figure known as He-Man and marks the toy company’s second theatrical film from Mattel after “Barbie.” Inaugural crowds were mostly comprised of fans of the ’80s toy and cartoon, so “Masters of the Universe” will need to cater to broader audiences in the coming weeks in order to become profitable in its theatrical run.

Amazon MGM’s domestic chief Kevin Wilson repeated a similar sentiment about the using a different barometer for success than rivals.

“Director Travis Knight and the entire cast and filmmaking team have delivered something truly special, and this opening is exactly the kind of critical first moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy—building awareness and engagement that will carry well beyond the theatrical window.”

Backrooms landed in third as ticket sales declined 70% in its second weekend. Since the film had such huge opening, even steep drop amounted to  stellar $25.9 million from 3,565 venues. With $135 million in North America and $212.6 million globally to date, “Backrooms” now ranks as A24’s highest grossing worldwide release over “Marty Supreme” ($191 million).

Fourth place went to “Obsession” with $25.6 million in its fourth weekend of release, a mere 7% decline. The horror sensation, a frenetic thriller about the dangers of romantic fixation, has been doing unprecedented business, with ticket sales increasing in its second and third weekends. Now the low-budget “Obsession” has generated $152.1 million in North America and will pass the $200 million mark globally this weekend. Focus Features is releasing the film.

Fathom Entertainment’s “The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act” rounded out the top five, earning earning $19.4 million.  Disney’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu” took sixth place with $10 million to push its domestic haul to $155.8 million.

Globally, the “Star Wars” spinoff has earned $293.6 million.

Wayans Brothers Reunion

Masters of the Universe arrived in theaters after a long, arduous journey — not unlike Price Adam’s quest to find his way back to his home planet of Eternia. Since 2007, the property cycled through several studios, including Netflix, Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures, as well as countless writers, directors and stars, such as Jon M. Chu, McG, and Noah Centineo. When Amazon MGM acquired the rights in 2024, they hired Travis Knight (“Bumblebee”) to direct and Nicholas Galitzine to portray the blond-haired god. “Masters of the Universe” follows Prince Adam as he learns embrace his true identity, the almighty He-Man, after power in Eternia is brutally ceded to the evil Skeletor.