Denzel Washington’s action-packed thriller “The Equalizer 3” stormed to the top of the box office with an impressive $34.5 million weekend debut, poised to reach an estimated $41 million by the end of the Labor Day holiday on Monday.
This Labor Day opening stands as the second-largest in modern history, despite the holiday traditionally not being a major moviegoing period. The record-holder remains Marvel’s blockbuster “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” in 2021, with $75 million over the three days and $94.6 million through Monday. Following that, the next highest Labor Day debut was Rob Zombie’s 2007 “Halloween” remake, which brought in $26 million during the three-day weekend and $30 million through Monday.
Internationally, “The Equalizer 3” added $26.1 million to its box office earnings, resulting in a strong global start of $60.6 million. Notably, the three-day domestic performance is nearly on par with its predecessors; the original “The Equalizer” from 2014 opened at $34 million, and its sequel, “The Equalizer 2” in 2018, debuted at $36 million. Both of these earlier films, also directed by Antoine Fuqua, managed to cross the $100 million mark domestically and nearly $200 million worldwide. “Equalizer 3,” co-financed by Sony, TSG, and Eagle Pictures, had a production cost of $70 million and is aiming for a similar success by the end of its theatrical run.
As summer draws to a close, the box office has reached an impressive milestone of $4 billion for the first time since the pandemic began. This achievement can be attributed to some unexpected blockbuster successes, including Greta Gerwig’s fantasy-comedy “Barbie” earning $611 million, Christopher Nolan’s dark historical drama “Oppenheimer” with $304 million, and the action-thriller “Sound of Freedom” starring Jim Caviezel, which brought in $181 million. These standout hits helped offset the underperformance of major releases like DC’s superhero adaptation “The Flash” and Disney’s remake of “Haunted Mansion.”
The success of “Equalizer 3” underscores Denzel Washington’s enduring appeal as a box office magnet. The film received an “A” CinemaScore from moviegoers and boasts a 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, marking it as the best-received instalment in the trilogy.
