Lee Cronin's 'The Mummy' Makes $1.5M in Previews

Key Points:

• Lee Cronin’s horror film The Mummy opened with $1.5 million from preview showings starting at 3 PM, aiming for an opening weekend around $12 million amid strong competition from the Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which is expected to earn about $44 million in its third weekend.
• The Mummy has received positive audience reception with an 80% score on Rotten Tomatoes, outperforming its 51% critic rating, and its preview earnings fall between similar horror films Send Help ($2.2M) and Knock at the Cabin ($1.45M).
• The $22 million R-rated film centers on a family reunion turned nightmare after a journalist’s daughter returns mysteriously after disappearing for eight years, with strong appeal among men over 25 and women under 25.
• Magnolia is set to release Normal, starring Bob Odenkirk and directed by Ben Wheatley, in its widest release ever at 2,027 theaters, marking a strategic shift for the company towards wider releases; the film is projected to open in the low single-digit millions and holds a 77% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
• Normal, acquired after its TIFF midnight screening, follows a small-town temporary sheriff uncovering dark secrets post-bank robbery, and represents Magnolia’s largest P&A investment to date.