New Line’s Weapons Earns $5.7M Previews, Rival Freakier Friday Nets $3.1M

New Line's horror-mystery-dark comedy "Weapons," directed by Zach Cregger, is poised to lead the box office this weekend following a strong $5.7 million in Thursday previews and glowing critical reception with a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score. Its original story, involving a mysterious disappearance of children, has generated significant buzz and could surpass initial projections of a $30 million opening weekend. Disney's body-swapping comedy sequel "Freakier Friday" also showed promising early numbers with $3.1 million in previews and a solid 94% audience score, setting up a close race for the top domestic spot against "Weapons." Both films are expected to dethrone Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," which has struggled recently. "Weapons" benefits from a modest $38 million budget, making its break-even point around $95 million, and strong word of mouth suggests sustained audience interest beyond opening day. This weekend's box office battle highlights the potential for original horror films to compete strongly alongside established franchises and nostalgic comedies.