For a long time, Til Schweiger was the ultimate hit guarantee at the German box office (unless he pushed in an action movie like “Guardian Angel”). But in recent years, this luster has faded – several Schweiger films have been disappointing across the board. But a sequel to a cult film now changes that: “Manta Manta – Part Two“ started yesterday, Thursday, with more than 50,000 cinema tickets sold. An opening weekend of around 400,000 visitors is expected.
This means that “Manta Manta – Second Part” attracted more than twice as many people to the cinema in the first weekend alone as the two previous Til Schweiger films combined over their entire run: “Dear Kurt” ended up with about 97,000 tickets sold . Die saving the world as we know it” at 73,000. And of course, the sequel “Manta, Manta” with this result is at the top of the cinema charts ahead of “John Wick: Chapter 4” – and could even set a record for the action hit with Keanu Reeves.
Most Successful Start in 2023: “Manta Manta – Second Part” vs. “John Wick 4”
With 412,000 movie tickets sold in its opening weekend, “John Wick: Chapter 4” currently holds the record for the best theatrical release of 2023. It currently looks like “Manta Manta – Second Part” comes in just behind and “only” easily the best German start of the year (currently still “De drie ???” with 254,000 visitors). But the number of 400,000 tickets for Schweiger’s new film is only an extrapolation, in the weekend there could be another shift of the required 12,000+ in the right direction.
In the case of the pure weekend, “John Wick 4” will definitely have to step back and leave the top position to “Manta Manta 2”. But hardly anyone should grieve about that. Because the approximately 320,000 visitors* in the second weekend are strong. After the result of “John Wick” had already been surpassed after the opening weekend, the fourth part “John Wick 2” should have already caught up after this weekend. Then, with 1.2 million movie tickets sold, only “John Wick 3” separates the latest sequel of the title from the most successful part of the series.
With “Dungeons & Dragons – Honor Among Thieves” another top movie is coming this weekend. Between 150,000 and 165,000 tickets will be sold for the fantasy adventure in the first weekend – plus preview visitors. “Sonne” and “Beton” with about 80,000 to 90,000 tickets left and “Creed III” with about 30,000 tickets should close the top 5.
The next cinema hit is already in the starting blocks
It doesn’t matter if “Manta Manta – Second Part” or “John Wick: Chapter 4” takes the crown as the most successful start of the year in German cinemas or continues to wear it after this weekend, that could change as early as next week . “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” starts on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 and the interest so far shows that there is also potential for hits here.