Universal’s continuation of Nobody, Nobody 2, is targeting a $10 million to $12 million opening in North America from roughly 3,200 theaters, according to early projections. The move would place it just ahead of the original film’s $6.8 million debut in 2021, a period when cinemas nationwide were still ramping back up after the pandemic. The first Nobody grossed about $27 million domestically and $57 million worldwide, helped by strong performance on premium video-on-demand platforms, which paved the way for this sequel. Nobody 2 carries a reported budget of about $25 million, up from the first film’s $16 million price tag.
Despite Nobody 2’s steady start, it is not expected to topple the weekend’s top draw, Warner Bros.’s Weapons. The thriller, directed by Zach Cregger, appears ready to repeat as No. 1 with estimates in the $20 million to $22 million range for its sophomore outing, a healthier hold than the average horror title typically enjoys. Positive critical reception and strong word-of-mouth have helped Weapons reach about $71 million globally on a $38 million production budget, continuing a streak of commercial wins for Warner Bros. this summer.
Facing Nobody 2 for the No. 2 spot is Disney’s Freakier Friday, projecting $10 million to $12 million in its second weekend. The PG-13 film brings back Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis as a mother-daughter pair who switch lives, having earned about $28.5 million in North America and $43 million worldwide after just over three days in release.
Another new release this weekend is Spike Lee’s High and Low remake, a crime thriller titled Highest 2 Lowest, opening on roughly 300 screens in limited release. Based on Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film, the modern take follows a powerful music mogul drawn into a ransom plot. Denzel Washington leads the cast, marking Lee’s first collaboration with Washington since Inside Man in 2006, joined by ASAP Rocky, Jeffrey Wright and Ice Spice. Early reviews have been positive, with Variety’s Peter Debruge praising the film as a soul-searching genre piece that entertains while raising questions about cultural direction.
Looking at the bigger picture, overall box office is about 7.5% ahead of last year but roughly 23% behind the pre-pandemic pace of 2019, according to Comscore. With summer revenues at about $3.2 billion through mid-August, the industry’s hopes of reaching the elusive $4 billion mark for the season could be more challenging than many analysts anticipated. Still, the summer lineup’s mix of action, comedy, family fare and prestige titles keeps the genre’s momentum alive, underscoring Hollywood’s knack for twists in the box office narrative.
Additional context and outlook: Nobody 2’s performance will be watched closely as studios refine strategies around streaming windows, premiums, and theater releases in a market still adjusting to evolving audience habits. If Nobody 2 performs as projected, it would suggest a steady appetite for mid-budget franchises and action fare, even as the industry navigates a shifting entertainment landscape.
Summary: The weekend presents a competitive mix of sequels, thrillers and a Spike Lee remake, with Nobody 2 aiming for a modestly higher opening than its predecessor. Weapons is expected to hold strong at the top, Freakier Friday looks to stabilize in the mid-range, and Highest 2 Lowest offers a limited but timely platform for Spike Lee and Denzel Washington to attract critics’ attention. The broader box office continues to rebound unevenly, but signs of resilience persist as summer theaters aim for solid attendance amid a shifting market. Positive takeaway: audiences still respond to high-energy, high-profile cinema, and studios appear to be calibrating releases to maximize weekend attendance.