Theater counts: Killers of the Flower Moon gives Scorsese his widest opening ever
October 19, 2023
Killers of the Flower Moon will launch into 3,628 theaters this weekend, the widest release of Martin Scorsese’s career. We expect TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR will remain the widest release, most likely playing in close to the same number of theaters as last weekend: 3,855.
Scorsese’s previous widest opening was The Departed, which debuted in 3,017 locations in 2006. The widest one of his films has ever played before now is 3,356 theaters, a figure reached by Shutter Island during its fourth weekend in theaters. Leonardo DiCaprio starred in both of those films of course, and adding Robert De Niro this time around clearly did no harm.
Whether Flower Moon can top the chart this weekend is another question. We’ll have our official predictions tomorrow, but it’s definitely a tough task given that The Eras Tour is coming off a $92.8-million opening. The Taylor Swift concert film wasn’t playing in theaters on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week, which means there should be some pent up demand for its renewed run starting on Thursday. If that gives it a better-than-expected hold, it could well stay top.
The 30th-anniversary re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas is the other confirmed wide debut this weekend. It will be playing in 1,650 theaters. Dicks: The Musical is due to expand wide too, but we don’t have an official theater count from A24 yet. We’ll announce a number if we get one tomorrow.
Looking ahead to next weekend, Universal says Five Nights at Freddy’s will be playing in about 3,500 theaters. That’s the only one of five planned wide releases for which we have a confirmed estimate, and the clear favorite to win Halloween weekend at the moment.
Bruce Nash, bruce.nash@the-numbers.com
Theater Counts for October 20
Estimates for October 27
Five Nights at Freddy's Universal Pictures 3,500 New
Filed under: Theater Counts, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese