‘Equalizer 3’ Scores Second-Biggest Labor Day Opening Weekend With $42 Million

The Equalizer 3 is still on track to earn the second-biggest Labor Day opening weekend in history with an estimated $42.3 million.

While the holiday isnt traditionally a box office draw, Denzel Washingtons assassin-thriller surpassed the previous Labor Day debut runner-up: Rob Zombies 2007 Halloween remake, which grossed $30 million through Monday. Marvels Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings still holds the Labor Day crown with a $94.6 million four-day opening in 2021.

Nevertheless, Equalizer 3s three-day domestic figure of $34.5 million is nearly the same as its predecessors. The 2015 original grossed $34 million in a traditional three-day frame, while the 2018 sequel scored $36 million. With a $70 million production budget co-financed by TSG and Eagle Pictures, Columbia Pictures Equalizer 3 is targeting a similar performance by the end of its run. The third installment earned an A grade on CinemaScore and holds a 75% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Speaking of box office milestones, Greta Gerwigs Barbie overtook The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the highest-grossing worldwide release of the year with $1.38 billion. In its seventh weekend of release, the hot-pink comedy remained in second place at the domestic box office with $13.1 million over the four-day frame.

Blue Beetle landed at No. 3 spot in its third weekend of release, earning $9.2 million through Monday. Although the DC Studios comic book film is maintaining better grosses than this years Shazam! Fury of the Gods and The Flash, Blue Beetles $57 million in North American ticket sales will not likely justify its $104 million production budget.

Last weekends arguable victor Gran Turismo decelerated to fourth place with $8.5 million through the Labor Day holiday. Sonys $60 million-budgeted racing drama has generated a domestic total of $30.6 million to date.

Universals Oppenheimer rounded out the top five with $7.5 million through Monday. Christopher Nolans historical epic crossed $850 million in global ticket sales, becoming the directors third-highest grossing film of all time, behind The Dark Knight with $1 billion and The Dark Knight Rises ($1.08 billion).

Expanding this holiday weekend from 10 locations to 715, MGMs Bottoms grossed $3.6 million in its second outing. Directed by Shiva Baby filmmaker Emma Seligman, the queer comedy earned $4.3 million after a week in limited release.