Paramount’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One has set a new domestic opening record for the franchise, earning an impressive $80 million in its first five days. This surpasses the previous record held by Mission: Impossible II, which made $78.8 million over Memorial Day weekend in 2000. The three-day record still belongs to Mission: Impossible – Fallout, which earned $61.2 million in 2018. Dead Reckoning is projected to earn $56.2 million in 4,327 theaters, including IMAX and PLF auditoriums.
The film marks Christopher McQuarrie’s third time directing a Mission movie, following Rogue Nation and Fallout. He is also directing Dead Reckoning Part Two, which had to pause production recently due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. Despite competition from Disney/Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which earned $83.8 million in its Friday-Tuesday debut, Dead Reckoning is receiving great reviews and has excellent audience scores, including an A CinemaScore and 5 Stars Posttrak. With strong international performance, a global launch of $200+ million is not out of the realm of possibility.
The success of Dead Reckoning is a testament to its good word-of-mouth. Despite a modest opening day of $15.5 million (including previews) and rival estimates of a $70 million 5-day total, the film has exceeded expectations. Saturday saw a 28% increase with $21.3 million, while Sunday is expected to see a 15% decrease with $18.1 million. The film has performed similarly to other Mission movies starring Tom Cruise.
In addition to Dead Reckoning, Angels Studios’ Sound of Freedom is also performing well at the box office. The anti-child trafficking thriller, starring Jim Caviezel, is projected to earn $24.7 million in its second weekend, up 26% from its previous weekend. The film’s total earnings now stand at $83.2 million and is expected to surpass $100 million.
Overall, it has been a successful weekend for both Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and Sound of Freedom, demonstrating the resilience of the movie industry as audiences return to theaters.