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The Independent
16 minutes ago
- The Independent
"Weapons" maintained top spot during second weekend, scaring off newcomer "Nobody 2"
'Weapons' scared its way to the top of the box office in its debut and managed to stay there during its second box office weekend, beating out 'Freakier Friday' and newcomer 'Nobody 2.' Zach Cregger's horror earned $25 million in 3,450 North American theaters, a 43% drop from its first weekend. The highly anticipated film benefitted from strong audience reviews and social media trends to attract large crowds. 'Freakier Friday,' which lost the battle for first place to 'Weapons' during its double premiere, also maintained its second spot, bringing in $14.5 million domestically. The films' staying power comes during a slower box office weekend, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for the data firm Comscore. Both films also prevailed against 'Nobody 2,' the R-rated action sequel. The Bob Odenkirk-led film earned $9.25 million across 3,260 North American theaters in its debut weekend. 'August came on strong last year, so it makes comparisons tough,' Dergarabedian said, noting the box office success of movies like 'Deadpool and Wolverine' and the horror sci-fi 'Alien: Romulus' that premiered this time last year. This summer is unlikely to hit the $4 billion benchmark, but succeeded in provided movie goers a dynamic and diverse slate of movies, he said. "I can't find a genre that's not represented or a demographic that wouldn't be attracted to one of these films out there," Dergarabedian said. 'It's just that eclectic mix of films with appeal to every demographic.' 'Nobody 2' follows the pandemic success of the first in the series, 'Nobody," which released in 2021. In the sequel, Hutch Mansell, the assassin-turned-nice-guy, played by Odenkirk, returns to the big screen, this time taking a much-needed family vacation that goes awry. The calm weekend turns anything but as Mansell uncovers a corrupt town. Jim Orr, president of domestic distributions at Universal Pictures, said he hopes the movie's reaction scores — a 89% Audience score and B+ CinemaScore — point 'to a long and successful run at the domestic box office.' 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps" took the fourth spot during its fourth weekend in theaters, bringing in $8.8 million domestically. The film stumbled at the box office after its initially strong $118 million debut. Another sequel, 'The Bad Guys 2,' took fifth place with $7.5 million during its third weekend in theaters. Notably, Dergarabedian said, international movies made a splash in the top 15 this weekend. 'Coolie,' an Indian action thriller, debuted domestically and snatched the tenth spot, followed by 'War 2,' another Indian action movie, at number 11. The domestic re-release of 'Shin Godzilla," a Japanese film that initially premiered in 2016, came in at the 12th spot. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. 'Weapons,' $25 million. 2. 'Freakier Friday,' $14.5 million. 3. 'Nobody 2,' $9.25 million. 4. 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps,' $8.8 million. 5. 'The Bad Guys 2,' $7.5 million. 6. 'Superman,' $5.3 million. 7. 'The Naked Gun,' $4.8 million. 8. 'Jurassic World Rebirth,' $2.9 million. 9. 'F1: The Movie,' $2.6 million. 10. 'Coolie," $2.4 million.
Daily Mail
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Working mom sparks debate as she cries over missing child's milestone due to her job
A working mom's emotional reaction to witnessing her baby's milestone from afar has struck a chord online. Brooke Lipps, from Austin, Texas, recently went viral after she took to TikTok to open up about a heart wrenching moment that she endured at work. The 25-year-old posted a video of herself in tears as she watched her baby sit up for the first time via a baby monitor at her desk. 'Being a working mom is so much harder than I could've imagined. Missing the milestones just breaks me,' she wrote in her caption. Her video resonated widely, sparking a broader conversation about the challenges of working motherhood and the issues with parental leave policies in the United States. 'One year of paid federal maternity leave NEEDS to be the standard. I'm glad women are getting louder about this, it's a huge issue,' one user urged in the comment section. 'It's OK, hun. If you stayed home, you'd feel guilty for not earning money. There's no winning as a mom, do the best you can,' another comforted. 'Mothers deserve a pay raise and greater maternity leave,' someone else declared. Another wrote: 'We need longer maternity leave in the US, period!!!' 'The US needs to figure something out [because] being a parent in this country is so unfair,' a different user stated. Other comments read: 'This makes me so angry,' 'You shouldn't be working,' 'The 9-5 does not work and never has,' and, 'We were NOT supposed to live like this.' One user came to her defense after some people urged the working mom to 'just quit her job.' 'People saying just to quit, hilarious. Apparently, half the moms in this comment section have zero financial comprehension. Not everyone can afford this at all,' one said. However, others urged women to find 'provider husbands' so they can be stay-at-home moms. 'Choose your husbands wisely,' someone advised. 'Not having kids unless I can stay home and have a provider husband,' another user affirmed. 'This is why it's so important who you marry and what it looks like when you have kids!' someone else wrote. A different comment read: 'Proof that marrying a good provider man is a flex. Being a girl boss isn't.' One person chimed in, arguing that finding a 'provider husband' isn't the answer: '"Marry a provider," y'all think that men also don't wanna see their kids?' The United States does not offer national paid maternity leave for mothers, per Paycor. However, some moms are in luck, as the laws vary by state and industry. States that offer paid maternity leave include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and the District of Columbia. The Family and Medical Leave Act offers parents 12 weeks of unpaid leave with job protections.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Movie-obsessed couple take insane $1M gamble to restore America's oldest drive-in theater
When film buffs Matt McClanahan and Lauren McChesney learned that their beloved local drive-in might be swallowed up by developers, they didn't hesitate to act. The couple emptied their savings, drained their retirement accounts, and signed on for a whopping $1 million loan to save it. The prize? Shankweiler's Drive-In Theatre in Orefield, Pennsylvania – the oldest operating drive-in in the world, which first lit up the silver screen back in 1934. For McClanahan, 35, it wasn't just business. 'It was a very personal connection, because I grew up coming here, so I had that drive to preserve a piece of my own childhood,' he told CNBC. To clinch the deal in 2022, the couple scraped together everything they could, from family contributions to their own retirement funds. McChesney, 41, even walked away from her career in health care to throw herself into the business full-time. 'I thought it was going to feel a lot scarier to give up my previous career,' she told CNBC. 'But as soon as I made that shift, it all just fell into place and made sense to me.' Their boldness wasn't without pressure. As McChesney put it: 'Because it's historic, because it's so special, there is that added pressure that we have to be successful with this.' McClanahan and McChesney's romance itself sounds like something out of a rom-com: they met when he tore her ticket at another drive-in he used to manage. 'He took my ticket, and we started dating maybe a year after that,' McChesney said. Today, they're not only business partners but also engaged to be married. Their joint mission was to breathe new life into Shankweiler's while keeping its vintage magic intact. 'Shankweiler's was a quiet backyard theater. It existed to play the movies for its neighborhood, and that was really it. We're trying to elevate that and bring it to another level,' McClanahan said. Operating America's oldest drive-in doesn't come cheap. McClanahan admitted the finances can feel like a revolving door: 'You have a ton of money going in, and then a ton of money going right back out.' To cover bills and loan payments, they've had to run year-round instead of seasonally. 'Since we had all these payments and we had to start paying our loan and we have bills, we had to be open year-round,' McChesney said. It hasn't been easy – but blockbuster nights and community events keep the dream alive. To lure crowds beyond summer, the couple has got creative. Valentine's Day saw 'Date Night at the Drive-In' with charcuterie boards and cocktails, while their annual Halloween trunk-or-treat has become a local favorite. As McClanahan put it: 'There's a lot of things in addition to the movies that customers have to look forward to when they come to our theater. It's more than the movies. It's a whole night.' And when the lights go down, the payoff, he said, is priceless 'When the movies are playing and you're watching hundreds of people share this amazing experience, and they're having a great time and everyone's happy, it's like that weight is just lifted and you realize this is why we're doing it. 'The community is coming together in this space, and we're facilitating something really special.'
