Nigerians spend N226m on “Mission Impossible” as it nears global box office hit

Nigerian cinemas have witnessed a collective expenditure of N226 million as enthusiastic moviegoers flocked to watch “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” which is steadily approaching the impressive global box office milestone of $550 million.

According to data released by the Cinema Association of Nigeria, “Mission: Impossible” has graced Nigerian theaters for a span of five weeks, commencing with a remarkable N87.13 million in its inaugural week.

On the international front, despite contending with competition, Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” stands on the brink of achieving a significant feat at the box office, as reported by Collider.

Having been in theaters for a span of six weeks, the film is on the verge of eclipsing the $550 million mark worldwide, a figure that would outshine the earnings of its 2000 predecessor, “Mission: Impossible 2.”

Recent weekend earnings for the film amount to $2.7 million domestically and $6.2 million internationally, contributing to a cumulative gross of $541 million. With its sights firmly set on the coveted $550 million threshold, the film is primed to achieve this remarkable milestone.

However, this achievement is still below other franchise entries, like “Ghost Protocol” ($694 million), “Rogue Nation” ($683 million), and “Fallout” ($786 million). 

“Dead Reckoning Part One” had a substantial budget of $290 million, largely due to pandemic-related expenses. To break even, it needs to reach around $600 million, adding pressure to a film that debuted just 10 days before “Barbenheimer’s Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which caused it to lose all its IMAX screens to the latter. 

Despite the success of Tom Cruise in previous franchise instalments, “Dead Reckoning Part One” has fallen short in comparison. Paramount faces the challenge of redeeming the franchise with “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two,” set for 2024, but potential delays due to ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes may impact those plans.  

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One premiered on the Spanish Steps in Rome on June 19, 2023, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 12, 2023, by Paramount Pictures. 

A glance at competitor, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie shows a stellar performance as it is, edging out Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight in domestic box office sales with a gross of $537.5 million, compared to The Dark Knight’s $536 million.

This success makes Barbie Warner Bros.’ the highest-grossing domestic release to date, although it still trails behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the highest-grossing film of 2023. Released in July alongside Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Barbie began with a historic $162 million opening weekend and recently crossed the billion-dollar mark.