DreamWorks Animation's "The Wild Robot" continues to garner critical acclaim worldwide, while the gruesome horror film "Terrifier 3" has unexpectedly emerged as a box office dark horse, overshadowing the mainstream "Joker: Folie à Deux" in the same release window. However, recent reports suggest that a portion of "The Wild Robot"'s box office performance might actually be attributed to the R-rated slasher.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Terrifier 3" was released unrated in North America. Still, major theater chains like AMC, Cinemark, and Regal all designated it as restricted. Yet, ticketing data from two of these chains revealed a noticeable uptick in "The Wild Robot"'s box office numbers over the past weekend, particularly pronounced on Indigenous Peoples' Day.
Both theater chains speculate that a significant number of underage moviegoers, after successfully purchasing tickets for "The Wild Robot," subsequently snuck into screenings to experience the gory spectacle of "Terrifier 3."
There's a reason young audiences are going to such lengths for "Terrifier 3." The film has already become the highest-grossing horror movie opening weekend in North America this year, especially with "Joker: Folie à Deux" underperforming, which cleared the path for "Terrifier 3" to claim the top spot. With a 74% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is poised to become the highest-grossing unrated film in US box office history—a considerable achievement for the horror genre.
However, since its North American release, "Terrifier 3" has also seen numerous reports of audience members experiencing nausea, vomiting, and other physical discomforts mid-screening, forcing them to leave early. The film's distributors quickly announced that "barf bags" would be provided, and many theaters even had medical personnel on standby outside. Whether this film is truly suitable for minors looking to "test their courage" remains to be seen.
via： THR