Tom Cruise starrer, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One is headed for a five-day debut of $78 million in North America, including $54.2 million for the weekend proper.
The movie is also opening overseas for projected global start of $240 million.
The Paramount and Skydance tentpole had been tracking to open to $90 million or more domestically, with the Tom Cruise-starring film earning a glowing A CinemaScore from audiences and strong reviews.
The movie will boast the second-best domestic opening of the franchise behind Mission: Impossible II, which posted a five-day debut of $78.5 million, not adjusted for inflation.
Dead Reckoning opened Wednesday in order to give the film more runway before Barbie and Oppenheimer open on July 21.
Older adults are fueling Dead Reckoning, with 22 percent of all ticket buyers in the 55 or older bracket. (Tom Cruise just turned 61).
Overseas, Dead Reckoning is doing brisk business for global opening of as much as $240 million.
The seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise is directed by Christopher McQuarrie. The cast also includes Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Henry Czerny, Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames and Simon Pegg.
Cruise is a favorite of theater owners. He resisted putting 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick on streaming, and it ended up being the top-grossing domestic feature released in 2022 with $774.7 million domestic, for a total of $1.49 billion globally.
The new Mission: Impossible movie dealt with multiple setbacks caused by COVID-19.
Sound of Freedom
Angel Studios’ faith-based political thriller Sound of Freedom remains a force. The movie looks to place No. 2 for the weekend with $24 million for an early domestic total of $83 million.
Insidious: The Red Door falls to No. 3 in its sophomore outing with an estimated $14 million for a 10-day domestic tally of $59 million-plus.
Disney and Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Pixar’s Elemental are expected to round out the top five.
