Expendables 4, The Nun 2 Leading Worst Box Office Weekend of the Year

Epend4bles may open atop a bad weekend at the box office.

By Jamie Lovett - September 24, 2023 05:24 pm EDT

dThe Expendables 4 (a.k.a. Expend4bles) and The Nun II are neck-and-neck in the race to be named the highest-grossing movie during the lowest-grossing box office weekend of 2023 to date. The Expendables 4 is expected to earn about $8 million in its opening weekend, a franchise low, and The Nun II will gross around the same amount in its third weekend. While The Expendables 4 looks like a box office bomb right now, previous films in the series have made the bulk of their money in overseas markets, meaning there's still a strong chance it will make its $100 million budget back and then some. However, The Expendables 4 has received the series' most negative reception from critics and movie-goers, meaning it may be an uphill battle.

The box office total for all films this weekend is approximately $49 million, dipping lower than Super Bowl Weekend, the previous low-mark for the year when Magic Mike's Last Dance led a box office that only made $52.6 million. The box office may pick up next weekend, as Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Saw X, and Gareth Edwards' The Creator are all set to debut.

As for this weekend, A Haunting in Venice will land in third place in its second weekend. The Equalizer 3 will slide into fourth place, while Barbie continues to round out the top five in its 10th box office thanks to an IMAX boost. The list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows.

1. Expend4bles

Opening Weekend
Total: $7.9 million

Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on, the Expendables are the world's last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table.

Scott Waugh directed Expend4bles from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer, Tad Daggerhart, and Max Adams. The film stars Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy García.

2. The Nun II

Week Three
Weekend: $7.8 million
Total: $68.6 million

In 1956 France, a priest is violently murdered, and Sister Irene begins to investigate. She once again comes face-to-face with a powerful evil.

Michael Chaves directed The Nun II from a screenplay by Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing, and Akela Cooper, based on a story by Cooper. It stars Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet, Bonnie Aarons, Storm Reid, and Anna Popplewell.

3. A Haunting in Venice

Week Two
Weekend: $6 million
Total: $25 million

Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot investigates a murder while attending a Halloween seance at a haunted palazzo in Venice, Italy.

Kenneth Branagh directed A Haunting in Venice from a screenplay by Michael Green, based on Agatha Christie's 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party. The film stars Branagh, Kyle Allen, Camille Cottin, Jamie Dornan, Tina Fey, Jude Hill, Ali Khan, Emma Laird, Kelly Reilly, Riccardo Scamarcio, and Michelle Yeoh.

4. The Equalizer 3

Week Four
Weekend: $4.7 million
Total: $81.2 million

Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall finds solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Now living in Southern Italy, he soon discovers his new friends are under the control of local crime bosses. As events turn deadly, McCall becomes their protector by taking on the mafia.

Antoine Fuqua directed The Equalizer 3, the final installment of the film trilogy inspired by the 1985 The Equalizer television series. It stars Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, David Denman, Sonia Ammar, and Remo Girone.

5. Barbie

Week 10
Weekend: $2.86 million
Total: $630.1 million

In Barbie, to live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you're a Ken. From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig comes Barbie, which hit theaters on July 21st. Barbie stars Oscar-nominees Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera, Kate McKinnon, Michael Cera, Ariana Greenblatt, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. The film also stars Ana Cruz Kayne, Emma Mackey, Hari Nef, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa, Scott Evans, Jamie Demetriou, Connor Swindells, Sharon Rooney, Nicola Coughlan, Ritu Arya, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren. Gerwig directed Barbie from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach, based on Barbie by Mattel.

4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

Week Three
Weekend: $2.75 million
Total: $23.5 million

Members of the Portokalos family reunite in Greece for a hilarious and heartwarming trip full of love, twists and turns.

Nia Vardalos wrote and directed My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. It stars Vardalos, John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin.

7. It Lives Inside

Opening Weekend
Total: $2.6 million

Desperate to fit in at school, Sam rejects her East Indian culture and family to be like everyone else. However, when a mythological demonic spirit latches onto her former best friend, she must come to terms with her heritage to defeat it.

Bishal Dutta wrote and directed It Lives Inside. The film stars Megan Suri.

8. Dumb Money

Week Two
Weekend: $2.33 million
Total: $2.6 million

Everyday people flip the script on Wall Street and get rich by turning GameStop into one of the world's hottest companies. In the middle of everything is Keith Gill, a regular guy who starts it all by sinking his life savings into the stock. When his social media posts start blowing up, so does his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets wealthy -- until the billionaires fight back and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

Craig Gillespie directed Dumb Money from a screenplay by Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo, based on the 2021 book The Antisocial Network by Ben Mezrich. The film stars Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Vincent D'Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, and Seth Rogen.

6. Blue Beetle

Week Six
Weekend: $1.73 million
Total: $69.7 million

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Blue Beetle, which arrives in theaters on August 18th, marking the DC superhero's first time on the big screen. The film, directed by Angel Manuel Soto, stars Xolo Maridueña in the title role as well as his alter ego, Jaime Reyes. Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.

Starring alongside Maridueña are Adriana Barraza, Damían Alcázar, Elpidia Carrillo, Bruna Marquezine, Raoul Max Trujillo, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez (the "Rio and "Smurf" franchises). The film also stars Belissa Escobedo and Harvey Guillén. Soto directs from a screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, based on characters from DC. John Rickard and Zev Foreman are producing, with Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman and Garrett Grant serving as executive producers.

10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

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Week Eight
Weekend: $1.73 million
Total: $116.1 million

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem marks the latest movie in the long-running media franchise, and a new reboot for four turtle brothers. Seth Rogen produced the movie, and lends his voice to its huge ensemble cast. In the film, the titular heroes venture out into the real world after years of living isolated in the sewers. Though they try to be recognized as normal teenagers by their heroics, a crime syndicate with an army of mutants makes everything more difficult for them and threatens their plans for joining society. The voice cast for the film includes Micah Abbey as Donatello, Shamon Brown Jr. as Michelangelo, Nicolas Cantu as Leonardo, and Brady Noon as Raphael. TMNT: Mutant Mayhem includes a slew of celebrities as well like Ayo Edebiri as April O'Neil, Jackie Chan as Splinter, Seth Rogen as Bebop, John Cena as Rocksteady, Ice Cube as Superfly, Giancarlo Esposito as Baxter Stockman, Paul Rudd as Mondo Gecko, and Maya Rudolph as Cynthia Utrom. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem opened in theaters on August 2nd.