Late Night With The Devil Summons Demonic Box Office Numbers Too Frightening To Believe
Late Night with the Devil, the found-footage horror movie written and directed by Cameron and Colin Cairnes, earned an eerie $666,666 at the box office on March 24. The independent film also secured the sixth spot overall, earning a total of $2.8 million across 1,034 theaters over the entire weekend. The figure represents a milestone for IFC Films, surpassing the previous record of $826,775 set by Watcher in 2022.
Still A Chance For Smaller Movies In Theaters
“This weekend’s release of Late Night with the Devil set fire to our old opening record,” Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks Films (which includes IFC), said in a statement.
“[It] continues to showcase that there is still potential for highly reviewed, intelligent auteur films in movie theaters across all genres,” he continued.
David Dastmalchian In Late Night with the Devil
Late Night with the Devil stars David Dastmalchian as 1970s late-night talk show host Jack Delroy, who wants to make television history by broadcasting live on Halloween.
He invites paranormal experts and a girl believed to be possessed by the Devil to be guests on the show. However, the special ultimately takes a horrifying turn.
The cast also includes Ian Bliss, Fayssal Bazzi, Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, Georgina Haig, Josh Quong Tart, and Rhys Auteri. Late Night with the Devil premiered to rave reviews at the 2023 South by Southwest Film Festival before being released in cinemas on March 22. The film will be available for streaming on Shudder starting on April 19.
Well-Deserved Leading Role
For David Dastmalchian, known for his supporting roles in prominent films like Oppenheimer, Dune, The Dark Knight, and Prisoners, Late Night with the Devil marks his first well-deserved leading role.
Before its theatrical release, the movie earned critical acclaim, achieving a rare perfect score of 100 percent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. The score is currently at 96 percent.
Vintage Showbiz And Demonic Horror
Late Night with the Devil offers a unique blend of vintage showbiz allure and demonic horror, skilfully crafted by the Cairnes brothers.
The film has been praised for its ability to extract compelling ideas from its premise while serving as a thought-provoking exploration of the costs of success.
It also serves as a stark reminder of the sinister undertones that are often hidden beneath a facade of light entertainment.
Some Controversy
The movie has also faced its share of controversy for its use of AI-generated artwork. Although these scenes were absent from the version shown at SXSW, some reviewers called for a boycott of Late Night with the Devil. Directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes responded by explaining that they, along with their graphics and production design team, had experimented with AI for three still images to achieve the desired 70s aesthetic.
Box Office Hit
Star David Dastmalchian supported their statement, emphasizing the originality and artistic craftsmanship of Late Night with the Devil.
He acknowledged the importance of the conversation surrounding the use of AI in filmmaking. Despite the minor furor across various social media platforms, the film was not impacted by the boycott calls.
Other films that performed well at the box office over the weekend include the much more family-friendly Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, which earned $45.2 million domestically and $16.4 million internationally, for a total of $61 million.
It was followed by Dune: Part Two, with $17.6 million, and DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4, with $16.8 million.
Source: Variety
