In a surprising turn of events at the box office, "Longlegs," a unique occult-themed horror mystery, has exceeded expectations in its opening weekend, outperforming the star-studded romantic comedy "Fly Me to the Moon." Meanwhile, "Despicable Me 4" maintains its reign as the top-grossing film, solidifying its position as a franchise powerhouse.

"Longlegs," directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Maika Monroe, captivated audiences with its fascinating storyline centered around an FBI agent on the hunt for a serial killer. Bolstered by glowing reviews and a haunting performance by Nicolas Cage, the film raked in an impressive $22.6 million, marking a record-breaking debut for Neon, the indie distributor responsible for its marketing.

Neon's success can be credited to their ingenious marketing campaign, reminiscent of cult hits like "The Blair Witch Project" and "Snakes on a Plane." The studio leveraged a viral marketing strategy, creating a captivating "90s-style website" showcasing the antagonist's gruesome crimes and even providing a demented phone message from Nicolas Cage himself. With a minimal investment of under $10 million in acquisition and marketing costs, "Longlegs" defied expectations and cemented its status as a breakout hit.

However, despite "Longlegs" stealing the spotlight, "Despicable Me 4" retained its box office crown with an impressive $44.6 million in its second weekend. The animated comedy from Universal and Illumination has now accumulated a domestic total of $211.1 million and recently became the first animated franchise to surpass $5 billion at the global box office. The immense success of the "Despicable Me" series paved the way for the announcement of "Minions 3," a spinoff scheduled for release in 2027.

On the other hand, "Fly Me to the Moon," starring Channing Tatum and Scarlett Johansson, struggled to make an impact, earning a disappointing $10 million in its opening weekend and settling for fifth place. Financed by Apple Original Films, which views theatrical releases as a means to raise the profile of their movies before streaming on Apple TV+, the film faced a challenging road to profitability due to its lavish budget. Nevertheless, positive reviews and its target audience of audiences over the age of 45 offer hope for longevity in the theatrical run.

Elsewhere at the box office, "Inside Out 2," the Disney and Pixar sequel, secured third place with $20.8 million, continuing its successful run with a domestic total of $572.6 million and a staggering $1.35 billion worldwide. Paramount's "A Quiet Place: Day One" secured fourth place with $11.8 million, crossing the $200 million mark globally. A24's "Sing Sing," a prison drama generating Oscar buzz, impressed in limited release, earning $137,119 from just four screens.

Despite a slower start to the summer box office season compared to 2023, notable successes such as "Despicable Me 4" and "Inside Out 2" have contributed to narrowing the gap. With highly anticipated releases like "Twisters" and "Deadpool & Wolverine" scheduled for the coming weeks, industry experts remain cautiously optimistic that the summer box office will rebound and recover from the deficit.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, acknowledged the challenging year but expressed optimism for the future, stating, "We have been playing catch up all year. But looking ahead, there are some big movies coming out in the next few weeks, and that's making me more bullish on the summer. We're not in a great place, but it could have been a lot worse."