Cineverse’s unrated slasher threequel Scarer 3 extrapolated $2.6 million in Thursday previews starting at 8 p.m. There is speculation that this micro-budget film, which cost Cineverse less than $5 million overall for acquisition and P&A, will topple Warner Bros’ film. Joker: Folie à Deux from the top spot of the box office in its second weekend with a $11 million+ to take.

We’ll see. It all depends on whether Cineverse’s sparse marketing campaign will find a larger audience than the core it’s being promoted for: the streaming subs and Bloodshed Disgusting followers. Writer-director Damien Leone’s horror film has a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating and a 78% critic rating. PostTrak from Comscore/Screen Engine did not capture the audience exits in the photo.

“Setting the early box office numbers Scarer 3 at #1 after early previews far exceeded our expectations, and we’re thrilled to see how strong the More frightening fanbase supports the new chapter of the franchise,” Chris McGurk, chairman and CEO of Cineverse, said in a statement Friday morning. “This success is proof that a high-quality indie film can hold its own at the box office despite being unrated and up against major studio films and buzzing festival darlings, and is a testament to (producer) Phil’s vision (Falcone) and Damien and the connection with the most passionate about the horror genre.”

Terrific 3s preview cash is comparable to the Tuesday preview of the 2018 Blumhouse/Universal film The first purification, which recorded a $17.3 million three-day and a $31.2 million five-day, but keep in mind this comes with big spending on major studios. It’s also a notch above Warner Bros.’ $2.5 million previews.’ Evil dead rise last year, which grossed a whopping $24.5 million for the three-day weekend.

Joker: Folie à Deux ended the first week with $44.55 million after a Thursday of $1.1 million, down 12% from Wednesday. That first week take is 19% behind the first week of Marvel Studios’ 2023 bomb The miracles, which grossed $54.8 million (yes, it was a PG-13 film, simply the lowest in the MCU price-wise), but it’s 15% higher than Warner Bros.’ Furiosawhich earned $38.9 million in its first week. Miracles dropped 72% in its second weekend, the worst ever for an MCU title Furiosa dropped by 60% in the second session. Marvels ended its domestic run at $84.5 million Furiosa settled at $67.4 million.

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Other Thursday night previews include the Morgan Neville-directed Lego documentary from Focus Features’ Pharrell Williams, Piece by piece, what did $450K from 1,500 theaters. It’s expected to make between $3 million and $9 million this weekend. The documentary received a final recommendation of 60% and 4½ stars on PostTrak. Thursday previews started at 2 p.m. Critics like it at 86% RT.

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Sony’s broad breakthrough SNL origin movie Saturday evening made $370K of previews that began Thursday at 2 p.m. That money will be rolled into today’s take. The Jason Reitman-directed feature is expected to do the same $3M-$5M this weekend in his national wide breakthrough. The only good news here is that audiences like it with 4½ stars and 84% positive on PostTrak, with RT critics scoring 80% certified fresh and 92% audience. The film has already grossed over $731,000 during its two-week platform release. Last year Sony Stupid money – which vied for awards season glory – earned $3.3 million from 2,837 theaters in its big break; The picture’s muted grosses were the result of the actors’ strike, during which talent could not be promoted. Saturday evening cost $30 million before P&A.

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Briarcliff Entertainment The student film about the young real estate baron Donald Trump and his mentor Roy Cohn did not do well $150K in previews after 4pm Thursday. Critics are loving the pic starring Jeremy Strong, Sebastian Stan and Maria Bakalova, which is certified 79% fresh, but audiences at PostTrak early Thursday gave it 2½ stars and a 45% overall recommendation. Briarcliff gave this film a chance by acquiring it and releasing it on a big screen amid the Trump campaign threatening its production with a lawsuit. Briarcliff is looking for P&A.

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