Insidious: The Red Door is out in theaters and, in its very first week, has risen to the top of the box office. The film grossed $31 million, which was more than enough to knock Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny off its perch atop the box office.
Not only did The Red Door’s gross help it beat Indy to the top of the box office, but it also beat projections which had it opening to $25 million.
The film’s production team definitely has some balls with their decision to release the film smack in the middle of two of the biggest films this summer – Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. This decision could have proven disastrous. Instead, it has delivered the second-best opening of the Insidious franchise and a box office leader.
What’s more impressive is the film has delivered this performance despite negative reviews from BOTH critics and audiences. A quick Google search will show that the film has a critics’ approval rating of only 36% on Rotten Tomatoes and a C+ Cinema Score rating.
Even though Insidious: The Red Door had a spectacular opening this week, it will need a miracle to repeat this performance next week. If the film had a positive audience rating, it would be able to count on word of mouth to drive more legs to the theatre. Now, the reverse is likely to be the case.
Patrick Wilson, one of the franchise’s stars, made his directorial debut with this film. Because of the film’s unpopularity, his capacity as director will be called into question.
Insidious: The Red Door is the fifth film in the Insidious franchise and the third IP under the banner of production company Blumhouse Productions, after Paranormal Activity and The Purge franchises, to get a fifth film.
Jason Blum, one of the film’s producers and the head honcho at Blumhouse Productions, recently said that it will be the last film in the franchise for some time.
Speaking to DiscussingFilm, he stated, “[The Red Door] is going to be the last we’re going to see of Insidious for a while. It may not be a forever rest, but it’s certainly going to be a very long rest. So, if someone comes up with some idea in 10 years, who knows?”
We think Blum’s comment pertains only to the main Insidious films centered around Josh Lambert, played by Wilson, and his family.
The reason for this line of thought is that there is a spinoff in development. Titled Thread, it will be written and directed by Jeremy Slater and stars Kumal Nanjiani and Mandy Moore.
Insidious: The Red Door is currently showing in theaters around the world.
