As of Sunday (19th), the family comedy film “Fantasy Encounter” grossed $35 million in its opening weekend in North America, knocking “Rise of the Apes 4” off the top spot at the weekend box office. Despite falling short of expectations and receiving negative reviews from critics, audiences have still given it a positive reception.
According to Box Office Mojo, “Fantasy Encounter” (IF) raked in $35 million in its North American opening, below the projected $40 million, with a global box office of $59 million. While it received only a 49% approval rating from critics on the review site “Rotten Tomatoes,” audiences seem to favor the film more, giving it an 88% fresh rating, with an “A” grade on the CinemaScore audience poll website.
Reports from foreign media indicate that the film’s $110 million production budget and marketing costs in the hundreds of millions have created instability given the lukewarm box office reception. Currently, the film has attracted 50% general audiences and 50% family audiences. The underwhelming box office performance is mainly attributed to negative reviews from critics, causing most viewers to hesitate.
North American audience reviews suggest that viewers appreciate “Fantasy Encounter,” which may lead to steady box office receipts over the next few months, similar to films like “Migration” and “Elemental.” However, the film will face challenges after Sony’s family movie “The Garfield Movie” is released this week.
Apart from “Fantasy Encounter,” “Rise of the Apes 4” earned $26 million in its second weekend in North America, ranking second, with a global box office of $237 million, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of 2024. With a production budget of $160 million, it needs to reach around $320 million in box office revenue to turn a profit, but currently remains in a deficit.
In North America, the total box office in 2024 is still trailing by nearly 22% compared to 2023 and 42% lower than the same period in 2019. The films released this week in North America, “Furiosa: Mad Max Saga” and “The Garfield Movie,” along with anticipated summer releases like “Deadpool and Wolverine,” “Despicable Me 4,” and “Brain Twister 2,” are expected by foreign media to bring in a surge of moviegoers.