The juice is still loose (and cleaning up) at the weekend box office

Paramount is probably wishing Warner Bros. didn’t say Beetlejuice a third time right about now. Just like the film’s namesake, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice has ensured its longevity in the real world with a third straight weekend on top of the box office, stealing the crown from animated film Transformers One, which was expected, at least by the trades, to send it back to the Neitherworld. The transforming bio-exorcist beat the transforming car robots by a slim margin of $1 million, taking home $26 million to Transformers‘ $25 million.

The next two entries on the list are a battle of the imperatives. (Grammar teachers, take note!) Despite its trailer woes, the James McAvoy-led Speak No Evil is still doing quite well, with a second week in the top three. It’s followed in the fourth position by Lionsgate’s Halle Berry-led thriller, Never Let Go, which managed to grab $4.5 million—a figure Deadline notes is quite low for a Berry opening. “There’s something to be said about a post-Covid and post-strike moviegoing audiences that punishes lower grossing movies or even mid-budgeted movies more than a pre-pandemic one,” the trade speculates in regard to the less than thrilling haul. On the flip side, the same hypothesis could also account for the continued success of Deadpool & Wolverine, a movie that can in no way be considered mid-budget. The Marvel outing is spending its ninth straight week in the top 10, bringing its domestic totals to a hefty $627 million.

The other story this week is The Substance, the widest release thus far from the relatively niche streaming service MUBI. The body horror film starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley opened in nearly 2,000 theaters this weekend, following its winning performance at Cannes. While its $3.1 million haul obviously can’t compete with juggernauts like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice or Deadpool & Wolverine, this is still a win for the fledgling distributor, especially in a genre that won’t be for everyone.

The full top 10, courtesy of Box Office Mojo, is below:

1. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, $26 million
2. Transformers One, $25 million
3. Speak No Evil, $5.9 million
4. Never Let Go, $4.5 million
5. Deadpool & Wolverine, $3.9 million
6. The Substance, $3.1 million
7. Am I Racist?, $2.5 million
8. Reagan, $1.7 million
9. Jung Kook: I Am Still, $1.4 million
10. Alien: Romulus, $1.3 million