Sony Pictures (Columbia Pictures and Screen Gems) has owned the January genre release for 15 years now, especially with their Underworld and Resident Evil franchises. It appears that Escape Room could become their next big franchise, assuming the international numbers begin to trickle in heavier than in the first two weeks.
The Adam Robitel-directed thriller has added yet another estimated $8.9M giving it a healthy $32.4M domestical total in just two weeks. It’s expected to top $40M and could even trickle its way to $50 domestically, which is impressive considering the film’s $9M reported budget. Foreign numbers have begun to appear, adding $2.5M to the icing on the cake. Sony has a strong global distribution arm and I expect these numbers to grow exponentially in the next few weeks (similar to that of Slender Man, which garnered $21M overseas). IF and only if Escape Room matches that of Slender Man, we could be looking at a $70M global take on a $9M movie. All of this only matters in the sense of whether or not you, as the reader, are hoping for a sequel. Do what you will with all of this information.
READ ALSO: Why Escape Room Can, Should and Probably Will Spawn the Next Hit Horror Franchise
The film, in which six strangers find themselves locked in the world’s hardest (and deadliest) escape rooms and must use their wits to survive, stars Logan Miller from Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Deborah Ann Woll from “True Blood” and Mother’s Day, and even Tucker and Dale vs. Evil’s Tyler Labine.
John Squires and I loved Escape Room, with Trace calling it “a game worth playing.”
