Box Office: ‘Boss Baby 2,’ ‘Forever Purge’ Both Earn $1.3 Million in Previews

DreamWorks Animation’s “The Boss Baby: Family Business” and Blumhouse and Universal’s “The Forever Purge” both netted $1.3 million each in Thursday previews.

The two sequels, which appeal to vastly different segments of the moviegoing audience, will likely be overshadowed by the second weekend grosses of “F9,” which is expected to earn roughly $28 million over the July 4th holiday. “The Boss Baby: Family Business,” a family-friendly affair, is projected to gross $15 million in its inaugural weekend.

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The very R-rated “The Forever Purge” should top out at $10 million. Starring Ana de la Reguera and Tenoch Huerta and directed by Everardo Gout, “Forever Purge” is set along the U.S.-Mexican border and incorporates a topical immigration-themed storyline. Universal also released “F9” and owns DreamWorks Animation, meaning it will be behind all three of the top-grossing films this weekend.

It should be a more muted celebration of all things America at the box office than in past, non-pandemic years. With the exception of “F9,” there still aren’t the array of blockbusters that traditionally populate the summer movie season. Things will improve slightly on July 9, when Marvel and Disney release “Black Widow” in theaters, though those grosses could be depressed slightly by the decision to offer it for rental simultaneously on Disney Plus.

“The Boss Baby: Family Business” will deploy a similar release strategy. The film is streaming on the newly launched NBCUniversal online platform Peacock, a debut that the company hopes will bolster enthusiasm for its service at a time when the competition is fierce in the space. Not only is Peacock trying to establish itself, but HBO Max and Disney Plus have entered the fray in an attempt to shoulder in on Netflix’s streaming dominance.

On the indie front, A24 is debuting the well-reviewed “Zola,” a darkly comic story about a stripper’s ill-fated trip to Florida. The film was inspired by a series of tweets that went viral. “Zola” took in $262,000 on its second day of release, which pushed its box office total to $797,300.

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