Denzel Washington’s “Equalizer 3” tops north American box office

 The third installment of Denzel Washington’s “Equalizer” series dominated the North American box office at the end of this weekend, grossing $34.5 million according to distributor estimates on Sunday. By the end of Labor Day, Sony expects total revenues to reach $42 million.

Labor Day marks the end of the Hollywood summer movie season, which is expected to surpass $4 billion in ticket sales for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, largely thanks to the success of “Barbie” and “Alzheimer’s,” both of which continue to set records even after seven weeks in theaters. Over this weekend, “Barbie,” directed by Freta Gerwig, officially became the highest-grossing film of 2023, with global earnings exceeding $1.36 billion, surpassing “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” Meanwhile, “Alzheimer’s,” directed by Christopher Nolan, crossed the $850 million mark globally to become the third-highest-grossing film worldwide and the third-highest-grossing film directed by Nolan, according to the Associated Press.

“Equalizer 3” entered the scene during a challenging time for Hollywood, as actors entered the seventh week of a strike to secure fair contracts with major entertainment companies and cinemas, preparing for a somewhat exhausting fall season as a result.

Sony opened “Equalizer 3,” rated R for adults, on over 3,900 screens in North America, including IMAX and premium large-format screens, in line with the two previous films, which each grossed over $190 million worldwide.

Internationally, the new film grossed $26.1 million, contributing to its worldwide debut of $60.6 million.

In second place, “Barbie” added $10.6 million over the weekend in the United States and Canada, bringing its domestic total to $609.5 million.

Warner Bros.’ other film, “Blue Beetle,” added $7.3 million, taking third place among other major releases.

“DE” grossed $56.6 million over the three-day weekend in North America.

Sony’s “Gran Turismo: Beyond a Tourist Story” landed in fourth place, with $6.6 million until Sunday, down 62% from its opening weekend and $8.5 million including Monday.

“Alzheimer’s” slipped to fifth place on the domestic revenue charts, earning approximately $5.5 million ($7.4 million including Monday) from 2,543 theaters. This brings its domestic total to $310.3 million and its global earnings to $851 million.

Universal’s film opened in China on Wednesday, playing on 35,000 screens. Estimates suggest it grossed $30.3 million in its first five days, with a significant portion (around $9.3 million until Sunday) coming from 736 IMAX screens.