Box Office: ‘Death on the Nile’ and ‘Marry Me’ Battle as Oscar Contenders Hope for Post-Nomination Bump

variety.com:

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterTwo new movies, Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded murder mystery “Death on the Nile” and Jennifer Lopez’s romantic comedy “Marry Me,” hope to appeal to people who aren’t all that interested in Super Bowl festivities.Football’s biggest weekend has traditionally led to lighter movie theater attendance, though Disney and Universal (the studios behind the box office’s newest offerings) are banking on their films to serve as can’t-miss counterprogramming against Sunday’s big game.“Death on the Nile” looks to have a leg up on the competition; it’s on track to open to $11 million to $14 million from 3,200 theaters. “Marry Me,” which is landing on the streaming service Peacock on the same day as its theatrical release, is estimated to collect at least $10 million from 3,600 venues between Friday and Sunday.

Since rom-coms haven’t been reliable moneymakers, Universal could be mitigating losses by premiering the movie concurrently online.

Or, the day-and-date digital debut could cut into ticket sales. It’ll be a close race between “Marry Me” and last weekend’s champ “Jackass Forever” for second place, but there’s a better chance that Super Bowl Sunday keeps Jackass fans parked in front of their television.

After its better-than-expected $23.5 million start, Paramount’s fourth “Jackass” installment is projected to make $10 million over the weekend.Also new to theaters, “Blacklight,” the umpteenth Liam Neeson action-thriller to play in theaters since the pandemic, is aiming to bring in $5 million or less.Among holdovers, Sony’s unstoppable box-office behemoth “Spider-Man: No Way Home” should pull ahead of last weekend’s release “Moonfall” on domestic charts; Spidey is eyeing $6 million to $7.