August 2023's box office will still feel the effects of Barbie and Oppenheimer's release, but there are several new movies set for release with hopes of achieving their own financial success. August has never been one of the biggest months of the year for movie theaters, as it marks the end of the summer season. Studios traditionally use the month to let the bigger movies from the summer to continue dominating. It has also become a time of the year when studios are willing to put slightly riskier projects in theaters with the hopes of catching the attention of audiences occasionally and finding success with lacking competition.

The outlook of the August 2023 box office is another example of these strategies at play. A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, the sequel to The Meg, and a potential DC franchise starter in Blue Beetle are among the biggest new releases coming to theaters this month. Each of these movies have IP burdens to deliver major box office results to keep their respective franchises going, while several other new movies will attempt to truly stand on their own against remaining July 2023 box office hits. While not every new movie will be a hit, here are some key predictions for the August 2023 box office

9 Barbie Will Pass $1.3 Billion Worldwide & Become 2023's Highest-Grossing Movie

Before tackling the new releases, all eyes will remain on Barbie's box office to see how high it climbs. After making over $750 million during its first 10 days of release, the movie based on Mattel's iconic toy is an undeniable success. Its current trends put it in elite company with the highest-grossing movies of all time. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling's movie will need time to reach those heights, but it could become 2023's highest-grossing movie during August. It needs to double its current total to pass The Super Mario Bros. Movie's $1.35 billion to claim that title, which is doable over the next four weeks.

8 TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Box Office Prediction

The first major August 2023 box office release is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. The animated reboot boasts a youthful and star-studded voice cast, as well as great animation, which have led to outstanding reviews. 2023 has been a stellar year for animated movies based on major IPs at the box office as demonstrated by The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. There is also a decent history of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies performing well at the box office, which could work in the new movie's favor.

Long range projections for TMNT: Mutant Mayhem's box office call for a 5-day opening weekend of nearly $50 million according to Box Office Pro, with around $27M-$36M coming during the traditional 3-day weekend. Since TMNT: Mutant Mayhem's reviews are so positive and the characters are so popular, the movie earning around $140 million domestically and $350 million worldwide overall seems doable. That would put the movie slightly behind the first live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie from Michael Bay but a step forward after its sequel stumbled.

7 Meg 2: The Trench Box Office Prediction

Warner Bros. is hoping to have the August 2023 box office surprise with Meg 2: The Trench. The original movie starring Jason Statham was an unexpected success in 2018 as it made $45M in its opening weekend domestically and finished with $530M worldwide. This is why Warner Bros. decided to move forward with a sequel and reportedly increased the budget to roughly $150M. Meg 2 is looking to repeat the unexpected success and keep the franchise alive and finish a trilogy.

Related: When Will Meg 2 Release On Streaming?

There are currently not expectations that Meg 2 will attract audiences quite as well, even as the number of megaladons featured increases. Box Office Pro has a projection of $22M-$27M for the opening weekend. While there is a gap in the schedule for over-the-top action movies, Meg 2's box office is likely to finish with less than $100M domestically, and international audiences could help push the worldwide total over $300M if everything goes right.

6 The Last Voyage of the Demeter Box Office Prediction

The Last Voyage of the Demeter is not expected to take too big of a bite out of the domestic box office. Universal's new horror movie has a recognizable tale behind it in theory thanks to its connection to Dracula, but there is not much of a sign that audiences are aware the movie is coming out. The Last Voyage of the Demeter's box office projections is a mere $5M-$10M for its opening weekend domestically. That puts a rather dark cloud over the movie's financial hopes, making a $20M domestic total even a challenge to hit potentially.

5 Blue Beetle Box Office Prediction

Warner Bros. and DC Studios are in a curious position when it comes to Blue Beetle's box office prospects. On one hand, the movie originally announced as an HBO Max original was given a bigger budget after the fact to become bigger and support a theatrical release date. The arrival of Xolo Maridueña's Jaime Reyes is a big step in representation, and DC Studios chief James Gunn has confirmed Blue Beetle will live on as part of the new DC Universe continuity. However, Blue Beetle is unlikely to be canon to the new universe and the DC brand is still reeling from The Flash's box office bomb.

While Blue Beetle might live on, the odds of Blue Beetle being a box office hit and launching a major franchise are quite low. According to Box Office Pro, the movie might open to less than $20M domestically. That would be a rather disastrous start for a superhero movie nowadays, especially one that reportedly carries an $120M budget. Barring incredible word of mouth and gaining significant traction with general audiences, a very optimistic prediction for Blue Beetle's box office might only be $75M domestically and $200M worldwide.

4 Strays Box Office Prediction

Universal is hoping to have an R-rated hit on its hands with the raunchy animal comedy Strays. The movie features a great collection of actors lending their voices to play dogs, including Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, Isla Fisher, and Randall Park. Its red band trailers have leaned heavily into the mischievous and adult adventures that the pets will partake in and the comedic opportunities that will come from them.

There is an optimistic outlook for Strays at the box office. Projections have landed around $18M-$28M for the comedy's opening weekend domestically. While that is far from a huge opening, it could be enough to give the movie a good enough start that it could become profitable with a low enough budget. Since it is a voice-only role for even the biggest stars, Strays' box office surpassing $60M domestically and $150M worldwide could still be enough for it to be a hit.

3 Gran Turismo Box Office Prediction

Sony is hoping that its video game movie success continues with Gran Turismo's release in August 2023. The movie is based on the popular PlayStation video game racing series and the true story of Jann Mardenborough going from gamer to professional racer. It features recognizable faces in prominent roles thanks to David Harbour and Orlando Bloom, while director Neill Blomkamp has seemingly crafted a thrilling racing movie based on early reactions. While Gran Turismo's release plan has changed to the SAG-AFTRA strike, its box office potential still remains.

The best-case scenario for Gran Turismo's box office is that it can get to $200M worldwide and become profitable. This will require the movie to open above early projections and use what will hopefully be good word of mouth from early fan screenings leading up to August 25th to drive up interest. If good reviews follow, Gran Turismo's box office could open to around $25M domestically and help the movie reach $70M domestically. International audiences could help make up the difference and get the movie close to being a hit.

2 Barbie & Oppenheimer Will Remain The Biggest New Releases

While there are several new movies hoping to make a mark on the August 2023 box office, it seems that none of them will be able to truly overtake Barbie and Oppenheimer's box office. The two movies have remained at the center of pop culture discussions over a week after their releases. While TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, Blue Beetle, and Gran Turismo have some IP connected to them, they do not appear to have the same recognizability as Barbie and Oppenheimer. That is why when the August 2023 box office concludes, the Barbenheimer duo is likely to be the two highest-grossing movies of the month.

1 TMNT: Mutant Mayhem Will Be August 2023's Biggest New Movie At The Box Office

Based on the above August 2023 box office predictions, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem will be the biggest new release this month. The animated movie might not have the strength to overtake Barbie and outearn it this month, but it is the best chance for a new release to make more than $100M domestically. The great reviews that the family-friendly action movie has received should help encourage families to see it all month long before and after school starts. That will help propel the TMNT reboot to be the August 2023 box office champion among the biggest new releases.

Source: Box Office Pro