Disney opened “Haunted Mansion” in the heat of summer and months removed from the spookiest time of year.Whether the release date is connected, ticket sales were veering on scary as the comedic thriller debuted in third place to a lackluster $24 million.
Competition was heightened as “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” remained unexpectedly strong in their sophomore outings, collecting a combined $140 million over the weekend.
Of course, nobody anticipated the power of “Barbenheimer” when setting the film calendar.The $150 million-budgeted “Haunted Mansion” reboot was also hobbled by the actors’ strike because the cast, including Lakeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto, wasn’t able to promote the movie on talk shows or in the press.Internationally, the film collapsed with $9.1 million from 35 markets, bringing its worldwide tally to just $33 million.
That’s a disappointing start for a family-friendly tentpole, which will struggle to get out of the red in its theatrical run.
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