Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One has claimed the top spot at the box office in its opening weekend, earning $56.2 million in domestic sales from Friday to Sunday and a total of $80 million since its Wednesday opening. While these numbers set a new franchise record for the Mission: Impossible series, they fell slightly short of expectations considering the film's $300 million budget.
Despite falling short of projected earnings, Dead Reckoning Part One did surpass other films in the franchise when comparing five-day earnings. Mission: Impossible-Fallout earned $77.5 million and Mission: Impossible II earned $78.8 million during their respective first five days in theaters. However, in terms of Friday-to-Sunday sales, Dead Reckoning Part One fell short of both Fallout and Mission: Impossible II.
The film has also performed well internationally, bringing in an additional $155 million overseas for a global total of $235 million.
Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the latest installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise stars Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, and Simon Pegg. It has received positive reviews from both critics and audiences, with a 96% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 94% score from audiences.
In other box office news, Sound of Freedom moved up to the No. 2 spot in its second weekend, earning $27 million from Friday to Sunday. The film has faced criticism for its portrayal of child exploitation and its lead actor's ties to QAnon. Insidious: The Red Door dropped to the No. 3 spot, earning $13 million in its second weekend and bringing its domestic total to $58 million.
Looking ahead, next weekend brings the highly anticipated openings of Barbie and Oppenheimer. Barbie is projected to earn $80 to $100 million in its opening, while Oppenheimer is projected to open to $40 to $50 million. Both films have generated significant online attention, and their contrasting themes have attracted audiences to plan double features.
Overall, the box office continues to showcase a diverse range of films with varying levels of success.