Proving that streaming success can coexist with box office glory, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” has become the most-watched film or television show on Peacock within its first five days of availability. While specific viewer numbers have not been disclosed, this milestone is particularly impressive considering the movie’s staggering $80 million domestic and $133 million global opening weekend.
The PG-13 adaptation of Scott Cawthon’s popular video game series, with a budget of $20 million, surpassed the five-day viewership totals of other notable releases on Peacock, including “Halloween Ends” (which had a simultaneous release in theaters), “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (following its $1.4 billion global box office success), the series “Bel-Air,” and the miniseries event “The Best Man: The Final Chapters.”
Directed by Emma Tammi, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” experienced a highly successful launch, generating an additional $4 million domestically on Monday alone. The movie achieved the distinction of being the fifth-biggest solo female-directed film, trailing behind “Barbie,” “Wonder Woman,” “Fifty Shades of Grey,” and “Black Widow.” Moreover, it became Blumhouse’s largest opening of all time. Additionally, in terms of non-adjusted numbers, it had one of the biggest opening weekends for a horror film, ranking only behind Warner Bros. and New Line’s “It” ($123 million), “It Chapter 2” ($89 million), and Universal’s “Jurassic World” trilogy (if counted).
These achievements are even more remarkable considering that the movie was available on Peacock at the same time. This situation suggests that either A) audiences choose to watch movies in theaters when they have the opportunity, even if they can also view them at home, or B) Peacock has not gained enough market share to significantly affect theatrical releases. In any case, NBCUniversal can boast about its success in both streaming and box office, without either platform harming the other.
In summary, the success of “Five Nights at Freddy’s” emphasizes the importance of creating new franchises based on fresh or recently developed intellectual property that specifically appeals to today’s children. Whether it’s “Paw Patrol” or “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” these films have succeeded because they don’t rely on the nostalgia of their parents (“Matrix Resurrections”), grandparents (“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”), or great-grandparents (“The Exorcist: Believer”).
Furthermore, even if you offer a movie for free to streaming subscribers, it will not significantly impact its theatrical performance if audiences are genuinely excited to watch it on the big screen.
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