In the quiet before the holiday season’s cinematic storm, Lionsgate has conjured up a box office win. The studio’s magic-heist threequel, “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” materialized at the top spot with a solid $21.3 million domestic opening. The film handily beat Paramount’s high-octane remake, “The Running Man,” for the weekend crown.
This is a significant moment for Lionsgate. The victory gives the studio its first No. 1 debut since January. That was a much slower post-holiday period. The opening for “Now You See Me 3” is nearly identical to its predecessor’s, with “Now You See Me 2” earning $22 million back in 2016, not adjusting for inflation.
Lionsgate’s Winning Hand
The Four Horsemen still have some tricks up their sleeves. “Now You See Me 3” represents the second opening above $20 million for Lionsgate this year, joining the “John Wick” spinoff “Ballerina.” The film, which sees the return of stars like Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg, was produced with a reported $90 million budget. Lionsgate employed its typical strategy to reduce financial risk, funding a large portion of that cost through foreign presales.
The strategy appears to be paying off on a global scale. The film debuted to a strong $75.5 million from 65 international territories. Its worldwide total already stands tall.
While critics have never been the biggest fans of the franchise, this installment is faring better. “Now You Don’t” holds a 59% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the highest of the series. Audiences seem pleased, granting it an 82% audience score. A B+ CinemaScore, however, is a slight dip from the A- grades earned by the first two movies. The real test for “Now You See Me 3” is yet to come, as it faces immense competition from upcoming blockbusters like “Wicked: For Good” and “Zootopia 2.”
The Running Man Stumbles Out of the Gate
Paramount’s bet on 80s nostalgia didn’t quite pay off as hoped. “The Running Man,” starring Glen Powell, opened below its projections with a $17 million domestic launch. The studio was hoping for a start north of $20 million. This debut is only slightly better than the $16.8 million opening for Paramount’s much cheaper summer comedy, “The Naked Gun.”
The film’s budget is a hefty $110 million. Domain Entertainment helped finance a portion of that cost through a slate deal. Paramount positioned the movie as an action-packed alternative for male audiences who might not be interested in the musicals and animated films dominating the upcoming holiday schedule. It was a similar play to their successful release of “Gladiator II” last year.
Unlike “Gladiator II,” which could draw on nostalgia for an Oscar-winning classic, “The Running Man” may have had its audience split. Disney and 20th Century’s “Predator: Badlands” likely siphoned off some of the same demographic. Reception for the Stephen King adaptation has been positive but not exceptional, with a 64% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a B+ from CinemaScore.
A Look at the Wider Box Office
The rest of the top five shows a mix of new contenders and resilient holdovers. The box office this weekend painted a clear picture of what audiences are responding to as the year winds down.
- 1. Now You See Me: Now You Don’t: $21.3 million
- 2. The Running Man: $17 million
- 3. Predator: Badlands: $13 million
- 4. Regretting You: $4 million
- 5. Black Phone 2: $2.6 million
“Predator: Badlands” took a steep 67.5% drop in its second weekend, pulling in $13 million. After a surprisingly strong $40 million opening, the film’s 10-day domestic total is now $66.3 million. Globally, the PG-13 action film sits at $136 million. It is on track to surpass the $160.5 million global total of 2018’s “The Predator” and should find its way to profitability once post-theatrical revenue is counted.
In fourth place, Paramount’s adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s “Regretting You” continued its impressive run, adding $4 million for a $45 million domestic total. Universal and Blumhouse’s horror sequel “Black Phone 2” rounded out the top five, earning $2.6 million in its fifth weekend for a domestic cume of $74.6 million.
Horror Misfire Shocks the System
The week’s most notable failure was Neon’s horror film “Keeper.” The movie opened to a disastrous $2.5 million from 1,950 theaters. For director Oz Perkins, this is a dramatic downturn from his recent successes. His 2024 breakout hit “Longlegs” opened to $22.4 million, and his 2025 follow-up “The Monkey” debuted with $14 million.
“Keeper” not only failed to find a commercial audience but also received poor marks from those who did see it, earning a dismal D+ on CinemaScore and a 42% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
The film’s performance is a stark reminder of the volatile nature of the box office. Even a director with recent hits is not guaranteed an audience, especially when a film fails to connect with viewers on a fundamental level.