The Christmas box office numbers are in, and as Agent Smith.
The Matrix Resurrections is directed by Lana Wachowski, making this her first Matrix movie without her sister Lilly. It debuted last Wednesday both in theaters and on HBO Max; it's the final WB movie to receive this release plan, which the studio promised would be exclusive to 2021. Going into the holiday weekend, many wondered how The Matrix Resurrections would perform. Though audiences seemed excited to travel back to the dystopian world, it received rather mixed reactions from critics. That, coupled with the streaming release and rising Covid cases, led to a confusing picture.
Now the weekend results are in, and The Matrix Resurrections has come in third for December 24-26. Per Box Office Mojo, The Matrix 4 earned $12 million for the 3-day weekend and $22.5 million for its first 5 days. This is much lower than early projections, which had the movie opening to the tune of $40 million. Meanwhile, the top two spots for the weekend were held by Spider-Man: No Way Home ($81.5 million) and Sing 2 ($23.76 million, $41 million over 5 days). The Matrix 4 still came ahead of fellow new releases The King's Man ($6.35 million, $10.02 million over 5 days) and American Underdog ($6.2 million).
This is a disappointing start for The Matrix Resurrections, particularly since it likely holds a budget of well over $100 million. Warner Bros.' 2021 releases have been a mixed bag in of box office success, and while the studio has objected to claims that the HBO Max addition is to blame, there's little question movies' availability on streaming has impacted box office returns. Though some, like Dune and Godzilla vs. Kong, found success in both venues, others like In the Heights and The Suicide Squad posted lower numbers. The Matrix Resurrections might've found a sizable audience on HBO Max, thus limiting those who wanted to venture out to theaters.
At the same time, strong competition likely also had an impact on The Matrix 4's performance. While the family-friendly animated musical Sing 2 probably didn't do much to take away Neo and Trinity's audience, the action-packed superhero flick Spider-Man: No Way Home might've. The Sony/Marvel release has sured all expectations to become the first film of the pandemic to cross $1 billion worldwide, and it has put on an excellent show domestically as well. The Matrix Resurrections could find some legs throughout the holidays, but right now, Spidey remains on top.
Source: Box Office Mojo
