Theater counts: Transformers wins the battle of the robots to become widest release

September 26, 2024

After a three-week reign as North America’s widest release, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has finally dropped below 4,000 theaters, making room for last weekend’s newcomer, Transformers One, to edge into the top spot as widest release this weekend. It will barely surpass another debut, The Wild Robot, by just eight locations. This weekend, audiences can look forward to a variety of new wide releases.

Leading the pack is The Wild Robot. which launches in 3,962 theaters. This animated adventure, based on Peter Brown’s beloved book series, follows a robot stranded on an uninhabited island as it learns to adapt and forms bonds with local wildlife, including an orphaned gosling. The film boasts a star-studded voice cast featuring Pedro Pascal, Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill, and Catherine O’Hara.

The second-widest release of the films hitting theaters for the first time is the Adam Driver sci-fi drama, Megalopolis. The movie is billed as a Roman epic fable set in an imagined modern America and is written, directed, and produced by veteran movie maker, Francis Ford Coppola. The film was first conceived by Coppola back in 1977 and its production has a long, and controversial, history. Megalopolis will be available in 1,854 venues.

In 854 theaters, Lee, tells the inspiring story of photographer Lee Miller during World War II, with Kate Winslet in the lead role. Directed by Ellen Kuras, the film captures Miller’s journey as she documents the war for Vogue magazine, including her infamous pose in Hitler’s bathtub.

Opening in 813 venues is Vindicating Trump, a documentary exploring the polarizing figure of Donald Trump and questioning his legacy in the context of historical warnings about power as posed by Abraham Lincoln and others.

Lastly, making its freshman charge in 762 theaters is the action-horror movie, Azrael. The film stars Samara Weaving as woman who is being hunted down by a silent community seeking her imprisonment.

Rounding out the top five widest releases this weekend is current box office champ Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, landing in 3,804 cinemas as it enters its fourth weekend at the box office. Occupying the fourth spot is Never Let Go, which retains its count from last weekend, holding steady with 2,667 locations. Lastly, Speak No Evil, posts 2,661 cinemas this weekend, good enough for fifth-widest release in North America.

Looking ahead to next week, we see the long awaited arrival of Joker: Folie á Deux, which is projected to begin in over 4,000 movie houses. Also planned for openings in wide release for the weekend of October 3rd are White Bird: A Wonder Story and Monster Summer.

Filed under: Theater Counts, Kate Winslet, Peter Brown, Francis Ford Coppola, Mark Hamill, Bill Nighy, Catherine O’Hara, Pedro Pascal, Adam Driver, Donald Trump, Samara Weaving