Longlegs Has $3 Million in Previews, Setting Neon Record

Courtesy Everett Collection

Horror fans are turning out for Neon‘s indie scarer “Longlegs,” which is getting great reviews and buzz from the genre community.

The film, starring Nicolas Cage as a terrifying serial killer and scream queen Maika Monroe as an FBI agent, made $3 million in Thursday previews at the box office. Director Osgood Perkins’ film sets the new record for the highest preview haul for Neon.

“Longlegs” is also on track to have the best opening weekend for the indie distributor. The previous record holder was Sydney Sweeney’s nun horror movie “Immaculate” from earlier this year. “Immaculate” opened with $5.3 million after a Thursday preview gross of less than $1 million. Now, “Longlegs” is on track for an opening in the high single digits, with some estimates even in the $10 million to $15 million range.

Variety chief film critic Peter DeBruge wrote in his “Longlegs” review, “Perkins understands that jump scares are but one of the pleasures of a successful horror movie (same goes for shotgun-toting figures creeping just out of focus in the background). Destabilizing audience expectations and relieving tension with unforeseen bursts of absurdity are every bit as important — both tactics he employs with expert precision.”

“Longlegs” may even beat this weekend’s other new theatrical release, Apple’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” which made $875,000 in previews. The film, which is being distributed by Sony, stars Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson in rom-com set against the 1960s Space Race. It’s expected to open around $12 million, a solid number for an original summer movie aimed at adults — but it did come with a $100 million price tag. However, the deep-pocketed Apple isn’t as concerned with box office grosses as a traditional studio, as evidenced by “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Napoleon” and “Argylle.”