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SUNDAY AM UPDATE: Comscore has estimated the 2021 domestic box office at $4.55B, which is +100% from last year’s $2.28 billion and off 60% from 2019’s $11.4 billion. While it would be

impossible to think we’d come raging back to 2019 norms, it is arguable that the domestic box office recovery isn’t as robust as many expected. No 1 Exhibitor Boss Adam Aron of AMC

forecasted 2021 ending at $5.2 billion. But in all fairness to his outlook, which was made back in August, that was when Paramount’s _Top Gun Maverick _was still on the calendar, and rosier

projections were anticipated for Disney/Marvel’s _Eternals _and MGM/UAR’s Daniel Craig 007 swan song _No Time to Die. _ “The pace of the recovering is occurring at a slower than anticipated

pace,” MKM Partners Managing Director, Senior Research Analyst told Deadline, “but the recovery will continue. Part of the problem is there’s just fewer films; the whole middle market is

gone, but tentpoles will continue to improve.” One of those big movies to rally us into 2022 was Sony/Marvel’s _SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, _which through its third weekend can scream a

US/Canada running total of $609.89M, the 10th-highest grossing movie ever at the domestic box office, overtaking Disney/Pixar’s _Incredibles 2 _and $8M away from beating the 2017 Christmas

hit _Star Wars: The Last Jedi _(which stands in the No 9 domestic B.O. all-time spot at $620.1M). WATCH ON DEADLINE To date, B.O. numbers firm EntTelligence estimates that 50M people have

seen _No Way Home,_ while 9M have watched _Sing 2, West Side Story _– 2.9M people, _Matrix Resurrections _– 2.6M, _The King’s Man _– 1.9M, and _American Underdog _– 1.5M. Box office data

corp Gower Analytics, off a theatrical slate that include _Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Top Gun Maverick, The Batman, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 _and so

much more, predicts 2022 will soar to $9.2 billion. All movies saw a spike in business on New Year’s Day, with wide releases (titles at 1,000+ theaters) seeing a near 42% climb over Friday.

_Spider-Man: No Way Home _collected $52.7M, -38% from Christmas weekend. Title/theaters/Fri-Sat-Sun/3-day (% chg)/Total/Weekend no. 1.) _SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME _(Sony) 4,206 (-130)

theaters, Fri $15.4M /Sat $23M/ Sun $14.3M/3-day $52.7M (-38%)/ Total: $610M/Wk 3 2.) _SING 2 _(Uni/Ill) 3,892 theaters, Fri $6.4M/Sat $7.75M/Sun $5.4M/3-day $19.6M (-12%)/Total: $89.68M/Wk

2 3.) _THE KING’S MAN _(20th/Dis) 3,180 theaters Fri $1.25M/Sat $1.95M/Sun $1.3M/3-day $4.5M (-24%)/Total $19.5M/Wk 2 4.) _AMERICAN UNDERDOG _(LG) 2,813 theaters, Fri $1.35M/Sat $1.6M/Sun

$1.08M/3-day: $4.075M (-31%)/Total: $15M/Wk 2 5.) _MATRIX RESURRECTIONS _(WB) 3,552 theaters, Fri $1.05M /Sat $1.635M/Sun $1.14M/3-day $3.825M (-64%)/Total: $30.9M/Wk 2 6.) _WEST SIDE STORY 

_(20th/Dis) 2,690 (-130) theaters, Fri $700K/Sat $850K/Sun $550K/3-day $2.1M (-25%)/Total $29.56M/Wk 4 7.) _GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE _(Sony) 1,645 (-83) theaters Fri $435K/Sat $620K/Sun

$380K/3-day $1.435M (+17%)/Total: $123.4M/ Wk 7 8.) _LICORICE PIZZA _(UAR) 786 (+781) theaters, Fri $356K (+5k%)/Sat $541K/Sun $352K/3-day $1.249M (-35%)/Total $6.3M/Wk 6 9.) _A JOURNAL FOR

JORDAN _(Sony) 2,500 theaters, Fri $335K/Sat $525K/Sun $380K/3-day: $1.175M (-47%)/Total: $4.74M/Wk 2 10.) _ENCANTO_ (Dis) 2,425 (-375) theaters, Fri $340K/Sat $425K/Sun $285K/3-day $1.05M

(-42%)/Total $91.3M/Wk 6 11.) _NIGHTMARE ALLEY _(Sea) 1,910 (-225)Fri $275K /Sat $425K/Sun $272K/3-day: $972K (-17%)/Total $7.6M/Wk 3 SATURDAY AM UPDATE: The first weekend of 2022 for all

movies is looking at $100.6M, an amount that’s 700% ahead of New Year’s weekend 2021 when most theaters where closed due to Covid, but behind 29% two years ago in 2020 when Covid didn’t seem

to be a threat stateside. A handful of adult-skewing and family titles saw upticks on New Year’s Eve over Christmas Eve in ticket sales, i.e. _The King’s Man, West Side Story, Ghostbusters:

Afterlife, Nightmare Alley _and _Licorice Pizza, _while the alpha movie Sony/Marvel’s _Spider-Man: No Way Home _recessed with $15.45M, -21%. Sony is expecting $48M for weekend 3 of the MCU

title, while industry estimates are higher between $50M-$60M, based on moviegoing powering back today. Off Sony’s estimate, _Spider-Man: No Way Home _gets to $605.1M by EOD tomorrow. Should 

_No Way Home _click past $608.58M, then it beats Disney/Pixar’s _Incredibles 2_ and becomes the 10th highest grossing movie at the domestic box office of all-time. _SING 2_‘s running total

is set to hit just under $90M by end of Sunday, roughly $1.3M shy of Disney’s _Encanto_‘s running six weekend cume: Who says families are avoiding cinemas now? Warner Bros/Village Roadshow’s

 _THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS _is estimated to have a 72% ding in its second weekend, no thanks to its availability to HBO Max subscribers. You’ll remember a year ago, even with box office

capitals NYC and LA closed, _Wonder Woman 1984_ took a 68% second weekend tumble due to the HBO Max factor. A B- CinemaScore and reviews like CNN’s “_The Matrix Resurrections _takes the red

pill, but works more like a sleeping pill” aren’t creating want-to-see as the second guy moviegoer choice in a _Spider-Man _heavy marketplace. I’ve heard whispers, but nothing official, that

the 5-day streaming household figure for _Matrix Resurrections _was over 8M (Samba TV in Smart TV households measured 2.8M sans mobile), and if that’s the case, gosh, this same day

availability of theatrical movies in the home really doesn’t create an event on the big screen does it? The Lana Wachowski directed and co-written sequel is the last of WarnerMedia’s

theatrical day-and-date titles on HBO Max for calendar 2021. Warners goes back to releasing event movies on a theatrical window for 2022 starting with March 4’s _The Batman _which many

already believe will be 2022’s first huge opening, possibly north of $100M. Here’s how the New Year’s weekend box office is looking: Title/theaters/Fri (% vs. prev Fri)/3-day (%

chg)/Total/Weekend no. 1.) _SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME _(Sony) 4,206 (-130) theaters, Fri $15.45M (-21%)/3-day $48M (-43%)/ Total: $605.19M/Wk 3 2.) _SING 2 _(Uni/Ill) 3,892 theaters, Fri $6.4M

(+23%)/3-day $19.5M (-13%)/Total: $89.6M/Wk 2 3.) _AMERICAN UNDERDOG _(LG) 2,813 theaters, Fri $1.35M/3-day: $4.3M (-27%)/Total: $15.2M/Wk 2 4.) _THE KING’S MAN _(20th/Dis) 3,180 theaters

Fri $1.25M (+7%)/3-day $3.9M (-33%)/Total $18.9M/Wk 2 5.) _MATRIX RESURRECTIONS _(WB) 3,552 theaters, Fri $1.03M (-61%)/3-day $3.4M (-72%)/Total: $30.5M/Wk 2 6.) _WEST SIDE STORY _(20th/Dis)

2,690 (-130) theaters, Fri $700K (+33%)/3-day $2.6M (-8%)/Total $30M/Wk 4 7.) _GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE _(Sony) 1,645 (-83) theaters Fri $430K (+62%)/3-day $1.45M (+19%)/Total: $123.4M/ Wk 7

8.) _ENCANTO_ (Dis) 2,425 (-375) theaters, Fri $340K (-29%)/ 3-day $1.04M (-42%)/Total $91.3M/Wk 6 9.) _LICORICE PIZZA _(UAR) 786 (+781) theaters, Fri $356K (+5k%)/3-day $1M (-48%)/Total

$6.1M/Wk 6 9.) _A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN _(Sony) 2,500 theaters, Fri $330K/3-day: $1M (55%)/Total: $4.56M/Wk 2 11.) _NIGHTMARE ALLEY _(Sea) 1,910 (-225)Fri $275K (+23%)/3-day: $972K (-17%)/Total

$7.6M/Wk 3 FRIDAY AM UPDATE:_THURSDAY BOX OFFICE FIGURES _Sony/Marvel’s _SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME _now ranks No. 11 on the list of highest grossing movies at the domestic box office with

$557.19M collected during its first two weeks in release. The MCU title outpegs Jon Favreau’s 2019 version of _The Lion King _with $543.6M. The 14-day gross for _No Way Home_ is the third

highest of all-time behind _Avengers: Endgame _($660.4M) and _Star Wars: Force Awakens _($652M). While weekend 2 was steeper for the Jon Watts-directed sequel at -67.5%, that’s because

Christmas Eve slowed ticket sales last Friday. This weekend isn’t expected to be so severe despite New Year’s Eve tonight. The second weekend decline for _No Way Home _was in line with _Star

Wars: The Last Jedi _which was down 68% in weekend 2 with Christmas Eve on a Sunday in 2017, and not far from 2016’s _Rogue One: A Star Wars Story_‘s percent drop which was -59% in its

second session with Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday. Industry expectations expect _No Way Home _to be down about -40% for a $50M third weekend at a revised theater count of 4,206, which

would get the MCU sequel to $607.2M. Kids are still on break Monday with Comscore reporting 48% K-12 off and 90% colleges. It’s not until Monday, Jan 24 when we see these holiday break

levels drop to the single digits. Still, these big Christmas event movies typically slow down, and ease below a weekday of $10M starting the Monday after New Year’s Day. _No Way Home

_grossed $20.6M at 4,336 theaters on Thursday, +2% from Wednesday, making it the second highest Dec. 30th take for a movie and second highest Thursday gross of all-time.

Illumination/Universal’s _SING 2 _made $7.75M at 3,892 theaters yesterday, +3% from Wednesday for a 9-day total of $70M. The first film, which opened on the Wednesday before Christmas back

in 2017 actually was +22% in weekend 2 with $42.8M, and that’s with New Year’s Eve falling on a Saturday. This family movie is in very good hands as the second-best choice for the masses to

see after _Spider-Man: No Way Home, _and it’s $20M from overtaking Disney’s Thanksgiving animated film _Encanto. Sing 2_‘s 3-day came in at $22.3M. 20th Century Studios/Disney/MARV’s _The

King’s Man _earned $1.37M in third yesterday, +10% from Wednesday for a running total of $14.9M. The industry outlook is that the Matthew Vaughn-directed prequel will be off 25%-30% in its

second weekend after an initial 3-day of $5.9M. _The King’s Man _will hold its current 3,180 theaters in weekend 2. The lackluster audience reception and HBO Max in-home availability is

expected to drag down _THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS _in weekend 2 after seeing a 3-day of $12M.  Warner Bros. tentpoles which were available on HBO Max day-and-date saw huge drops in their

second weekends when both NYC and LA had theaters open, i.e. _Dune _(-62%), _Mortal Kombat _(-73%) and _The Suicide Squad _(-72%). The Lana Wachowski-directed and co-written sequel made an

estimated $1.3M in fourth on Thursday at 3,552, +2% from Wednesday for a 9-day of $27.1M. Lionsgate’s _AMERICAN UNDERDOG _also saw $1.3M, +11% from Wednesday for a running total of $10.9M

through six days at 2,813 locations.