Franchises Can Still Succeed Without Their Main Characters


Two of the biggest movies of March 2023 were Creed 3 and Scream 6, both of which were the first installments in their long-running respective franchises without the main character. Creed 3 was the first of the franchise without Rocky Balboa, while Scream 6 was the first without Sidney Prescott. While this may have signaled trouble for both films’ financial success, they ultimately premiered to the best box office performances of both franchises, indicating massive film series can still continue without the presence of their lead characters. With the John Wick franchise already setting up spinoffs without the title character, Creed 3 and Scream 6 are encouraging for such movies’ box office success.

March 2023’s Box Office Success Means April Will Be Huge


The massive success of March 2023’s new releases at the box office indicates that April 2023’s performance will be even better, as it marks the premieres of several more highly-anticipated franchise movies. Since Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves premieres on March 31, the bulk of its box office earnings will be in April, thus increasing the month’s total substantially. However, it’s the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie on April 5 that is expected to be huge for April 2023, as it’s also predicted to be one of the highest-grossing movies of the entire year.

Since R-rated franchise movies like John Wick: Chapter 4 and Scream 6 did extraordinarily well in March 2023, the PG-rated Super Mario Bros. Movie is apt to greatly eclipse their earnings as it appeals to families. April 2023 also marks the premiere of the Nicolas Cage-starring horror-comedy Renfield, an adaptation of Dracula based on the vampire’s loyal henchman, and Evil Dead Rise, the fifth film in the Evil Dead franchise. Given the success of March 2023’s R-rated franchise movies, Renfield and Evil Dead Rise are expected to also see huge box office earnings in April 2023.