‘Haunted Mansion’ Faces Scary Prospects At The Box Office

Disney’s Haunted Mansion may be the latest in an increasingly long line of box office disappointments for the studio.

The film is expected to gross between $25 and $30 million this weekend, as it faces tough competition from box office behemoth’s Barbie and Oppenheimer, which shattered opening weekend records last week.

Photo: Disney

Another Disney Film With A Bloated Budget

While a $30 million opening weekend would normally be a fine result for a film aimed primarily at families and kids, once again Disney has released a film with a massive budget.

The mouse house spent $150 million to produce Haunted Mansion, a number that does not take promotional expenses into account.

Photo: Zillow

Box office observers and fans alike will also likely second guess Disney’s decision to release Haunted Mansion in July, as opposed to a more natural release during the Halloween season.

While the fall is considered to be a slower movie theater season, a release then would have removed much of Haunted Mansion‘s competition.

Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion’ Photo: Disney

“Barbenheimer” Dominates

As it is, the release of the Justin Simien-directed film is being overshadowed by “Barbenheimer.” Both Barbie and Oppenheimer smashed expectations at the box office last weekend. Now, strong reviews from critics and audiences alike will propel the films above Haunted Mansion this weekend.

Barbie is tracking towards a $72 million second weekend, while Oppenheimer is looking at $35 million.

Photo: Men’s Journal

Next weekend, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will hit theaters, further splitting the family film demographic.

Reviews Have Been Bad

Even outside of its competition, Haunted Mansion is struggling. The film currently holds a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes and a CinemaScore of “B.”

Photo: Disney

In order for the film to break even at the box office, Haunted Mansion will have to follow in the footsteps of Pixar’s Elemental, which struggled out of the gate before finding its audience.

For Disney however, the film looks to be yet another box office disappointment in a year that has been full of them.

Haunted Mansion hits theaters on July 28.

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