Super Bowl Box Office: ‘Send Help’ Leads Horror Weekend 2024

The Super Bowl weekend box office, traditionally a slow frame for theatrical releases, once again saw horror films dominate, with Send Help retaining the top spot for a second consecutive week. The Sam Raimi-directed thriller, starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, earned an estimated $8.6 million, bringing its domestic total to $23 million, according to preliminary figures reported by several industry outlets.

Close on its heels was Markiplier’s independently distributed Iron Lung, a sci-fi horror adaptation based on the popular video game. The film, which has defied expectations with its strong performance, grossed an estimated $7.2 million, pushing its cumulative earnings to $21.7 million. The success of Iron Lung is particularly noteworthy, mirroring the recent breakout success of Terrifier 3, and demonstrating the potential for YouTuber-driven projects to resonate with audiences.

The weekend’s box office results highlight a continuing trend: studios are increasingly hesitant to launch major releases during Super Bowl weekend. As Deadline notes, the era of launching films like Taken or Hannah Montana during the Big Game is largely over, with marketing dollars now directed elsewhere due to the fragmented attention of a massive television audience. The potential audience of 128 million viewers isn’t translating into box office revenue on a Sunday, making it a less attractive proposition for large-scale releases.

This year’s Super Bowl frame is expected to rank among the lowest of the year, following 2024’s $37 million and last year’s $54.2 million. The lack of major studio competition allowed Send Help and Iron Lung to maintain their positions, despite the debut of several new films, including The Strangers: Chapter 3 and a new adaptation of Dracula. These newcomers, along with a K-Pop concert experience featuring Stray Kids, were largely overshadowed by the continued strength of the horror titles.

The performance of Send Help is particularly significant for director Sam Raimi. Reports indicate it represents his best opening outside of the superhero and fantasy genres, and one of the strongest non-franchise openings for stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The film’s success is a testament to Raimi’s enduring appeal as a genre filmmaker, and the continued draw of established actors in commercially viable projects.

Beyond the top two, the box office landscape presented a mixed bag. New releases largely catered to niche audiences, with Bleecker Street’s Crosswalk label releasing the K-Pop concert film Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience in 1,697 locations. The film’s performance remains a wildcard, relying heavily on Friday and Saturday attendance. Several other films, including Mercy, Return to Silent Hill, and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, experienced significant drops in attendance, highlighting the challenges of maintaining momentum in a competitive market.

Interestingly, several films from the previous week demonstrated surprising resilience. The Housemaid, Avatar: Fire and Ash, and Best Picture nominees Marty Supreme and Hamnet all saw drops of less than 20% in attendance. Even Zootopia 2, now in its third month of release, managed to increase its earnings compared to the previous week. This suggests a degree of stability within the mid-tier of the box office, with certain films continuing to attract audiences despite the arrival of new releases.

The success of Send Help and Iron Lung underscores the enduring popularity of the horror genre, particularly during periods with limited competition from major studio releases. The films’ ability to connect with audiences, despite differing production scales and distribution strategies, demonstrates the diverse appeal of horror and the potential for innovative approaches to filmmaking and distribution. As Peter T Chattaway observes, the weekend was dominated by two very different horror films: a big-studio survival thriller and a microbudgeted sci-fi flick directed by a YouTuber.

Looking ahead, the box office is expected to remain relatively quiet in the coming weeks, with studios continuing to avoid major releases during the post-Super Bowl lull. The performance of Send Help and Iron Lung will be closely watched as indicators of the genre’s continued strength and the potential for independent films to thrive in a challenging market. The success of Iron Lung in particular, could open doors for other video game adaptations and projects spearheaded by online creators.