Theater counts: Black Panther remains easily the widest release heading into the Thanksgiving Holiday

November 17, 2022

After amassing a colossal $181 million in its domestic opening weekend, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever holds steady going into its second weekend, keeping its 4,396 locations from week one. The sequel surpassed $400 million globally on Wednesday, with $213 million coming from North American viewings, while $187 million arrived from overseas markets. Wakanda Forever won’t be challenged this week at the box office, but two new wide releases make their arrival to cinemas, and She Said, and The Menu, should provide options for nearly every taste.

Debuting in 2,022 theaters is newcomer She Said, starring Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book about the New York Times investigation that exposed Harvey Weinstein’s torrid history of sexual misconduct, the film charts the work done by journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor in breaking the story of the Weinstein allegations.

The Menu is being served up in 3,211 locations. The dark comedy set in the world of high-end culinary culture is led by an array of respected talent including Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult among others. Rounding out the top five this week is Black Adam with 3,372 locations, Ticket to Paradise, logging in 3,268 theaters and finally, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile in 2,307 movie houses.

Per usual there are even more options available in the limited release category. Releasing in 24 theaters is the documentary Bad Axe. Asian-American filmmaker David Siev documents his family’s struggle to keep their restaurant afloat in the small town of Bad Axe, Michigan during the pandemic. Opening in five theaters this week (before expanding into about 2,500 next week) is the thriller Bones and All. Based on the novel of the same name, written by Camille DeAngelis, the movie stars Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet, and is a coming-of-age road trip thriller that follows two cannibalistic lovers as they embark on a road trip across North America. Luca Guadagnino directs from a screenplay by David Kajganich.

Other films opening in limited release this week include Fisherman’s Friends: One and All (five locations), EO, and Actual People, each debuting in two theaters, and the Laemmle Theatre’s documentary, showing in one cinema.

We see two wide releases opening on Wednesday next week with the debut of Walt Disney’s animated feature, Strange World, expected in about 3,900 venues, and the biographical war drama Devotion, starring Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell. The latter will arrive in approximately 3,200 theaters. As mentioned, Bones and All will expand wide as well as last week’s newcomer, The Fabelmans as it jumps to around 600 locations.

Theater Counts for November 18

Estimates for November 23

Bruce Nash

Filed under: Theater Counts, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Fisherman’s Friends, Black Panther, Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, Zoe Kazan, Carey Mulligan, David Kajganich, Glen Powell, Timothée Chalamet, Anya Taylor-Joy, Luca Guadagnino, Jonathan Majors, Taylor Russell, Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey, Camille DeAngelis