Welcome back, everyone, to some of the most fun you’ll have this summer! After last year’s false-start SMP opening thanks to a delayed Marvel release, things are now all right in the movie world as we get the newest collection of antiheroes in… Thunderbolts*. On the surface, this looks like Marvel’s answer to DC’s Suicide Squad, so let’s hope this movie has a better second half than the original SS. Oof that was baaaad. With a RT Top Critics score of 90% and a surprising ‘A-‘ CinemaScore, we’ll be starting off very well if we can come close to that projected $81M opening. 40 players certainly hope so, including one who made it their #1 pick.
The other Wide release this weekend, The Surfer, wasn’t picked by any players, but does have pretty good Critics scores.
Box Office Theory forecast for this weekend:
| # | 3-Day Wknd (M) | Total (M) | % Change | Theater Count | |
| 1 | Thunderbolts* | 81.3 | 81.3 | – | 4,330 |
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| 6 | The Surfer | 3.0 | 3.0 | – | 884 |
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Rotten Tomatoes freshness ratings:
| All Critics | Top Critics | Verified Audience | |
| Thunderbolts* | 88% | 90% | 95% |
| The Surfer | 86% | 81% | 47% |
CinemaScore ratings:
| Score | |
| Thunderbolts! | A- |
| The Surfer | n/a |
TBD ratings updates will be posted as they are published.