Two contrasting newcomers share the marquee on May 30, when Sony’s franchise revival “Karate Kid: Legends” meets A24’s grief-soaked horror tale “Bring Her Back.” Early tracking from BoxOfficePro puts the martial-arts sequel on course for a $28-38 million domestic opening, while the indie chiller is expected to launch in the $4-6 million range, giving both studios breathing room after the holiday rush. Both titles open wide the same day, anchoring the final frame of a crowded May schedule.
“Karate Kid: Legends,” the sixth film in the four-decade-old series, reunites Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han with Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and hands the spotlight to newcomer Ben Wang as Beijing transplant Li Fong.
The film blends kung fu and Miyagi-do karate in New York, aiming to court fans of both the 2010 reboot and Netflix’s “Cobra Kai.” Release timing shifted repeatedly during the 2023 labor strikes before landing on this weekend, adding to pent-up demand.
A24 counters with “Bring Her Back,” the second feature from Adelaide twins Danny and Michael Philippou, whose debut “Talk to Me” became a breakout hit. The new film follows foster siblings who discover resurrection rituals inside their caretaker’s isolated home, a premise critics call “unsettling” and “harrowing.”
Early reviews have driven the Rotten Tomatoes score to 93 percent, strengthening word-of-mouth for what analysts view as A24’s summer sleeper. Industry forecasts still peg a modest start, consistent with horror’s typical front-loaded pattern.
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This matchup arrives one week after Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” shattered Memorial Day records, absorbing family traffic and leaving room for genre variety. Exhibitors expect “Stitch” to retain first place, while “Legends” targets teens and nostalgic adults and “Bring Her Back” courts late-night thriller crowds.
Ticketing data shows measured presales but a steady uptick heading into Thursday previews. Sony has widened international appeal by commissioning a Hindi dub featuring actor-producer Ajay Devgn and his son Yug, a move Jackie Chan says reflects “everybody in Bollywood knows how to dance.”
