Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire grossed $45.2 million in its opening weekend at the U.S. box office, putting it only slightly ahead of its 2021 predecessor.
According to Variety, bustin' does indeed make people feel good, as Frozen Empire opened on the higher end of expectations, collecting $45.2 million from U.S. ticket sales. This figure is close to Ghostbusters: Afterlife's $44 million start in the U.S., though that movie opened in theaters in 2021 during pandemic-challenged times.
Sony's sequel to Afterlife arrived on the big screen on March 22 and added $16.4 million at the box office from international markets for a global opening weekend of $61.6 million against a reported $100 million production budget. Its box office takings pushed the franchise past the $1 billion milestone at the worldwide box office.
Dune: Part Two held the second spot with a weekend haul of $17.6 million at the U.S. box office in its fourth week of release, while DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4 claimed third place with $16.8 million, Neon's Sydney Sweeney-led horror movie Immaculate opened in fourth place with $5.3 million, and the true-life tale Arthur the King rounded out the top five, taking in $4.4 million in its second week at theaters.
Frozen Empire, co-written by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, who also directed the poltergeist-peppered picture, sees the Spengler family return to where it all started – the New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters and save the world from a second Ice Age after an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force.
The movie, so far, has received mixed reviews from critics, though it is scoring much higher with audiences based on its Rotten Tomatoes ratings. IGN's review of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire gave it a 4/10, noting that its "tiresome, bloated plot and expansive roster of characters" will leave many viewers out in the cold.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.
