FRIDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Disney and Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is eyeing a 65% second weekend decline at this point, which would translate to about $64M after a Friday with $17M-$19M. The pic has a shot at hitting $70M. The 10-day running total for Wakanda Forever at its current rate would land at $284.7M at 4,396 theaters, 3% behind Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at the same point.

What Wakanda has that the Doctor did not is 45% K-12 schools out and 17% colleges on Monday heading to everyone off on Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Note that Black Friday typically is an enormous box office day. Expect Black Panther 2 to lead over the Wednesday-Sunday holiday spread.

A very strong No. 2 is The Chosen: Season 3, of which Fathom Events is showing off episodes 1 & 2 at 2,012 theaters. It’s looking at $3.7M today and $10M for the weekend. Logline for the third season of Angel Studios’ drama: Jesus completes a sermon that turns the world upside down, all 12 disciples (including newcomer Judas) are ready to follow him to the ends of the earth. But problems remain. Matthew wrestles with estrangement from his family. Andrew visits an imprisoned John the Baptist. Mary and the women must find a source of income. Simon and Eden face the costs of following Jesus. Most importantly, the disciples face their biggest challenge yet when Jesus sends them out, two by two, to preach and perform miracles without him.

Searchlight’s is looking at $8M, with the possibility of emulating Barbarian and crossing $10M. It’s doing at least $3M today including previews at 3,211 theaters.

Fourth place goes to New Line/DC’s Black Adam at 3,372 theaters, with a $915K fifth Friday, $3.4M weekend, -58% and running total of $155.9M by Sunday.

Fifth goes to Universal’s Ticket to Paradise at 3,268 theaters, which is seeing a fifth Friday of $880K, $2.9M weekend and running total of $61.2M. The George Clooney-Julia Roberts romantic comedy also is available on PVOD.

Universal’s newsroom/Harvey Weinstein drama She Said at 2,022 theaters is spotting $800K and a $2.25M opening in sixth place.

PREVIOUS FRIDAY AM EXCLUSIVE: Searchlight’s absurdist genre horror comedy The Menu got off to a promising start with $1M+ in Thursday night previews, we hear. That number is up there with recent comps such as Barbarian, which did $850K on its Thursday night before a $10.5M opening, and The Northman, another Anya Taylor-Joy movie, which posted $1.35M before a $12.2M start.

RELATED: ‘The Menu’ Trailer: Anya Taylor-Joy & Nicholas Hoult Drawn Into A Chef’s Deadly Game In Searchlight’s Horror-Comedy

The opening weekend estimate for director Mark Mylod’s The Menu, which also stars Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo and others, is around $8M. If this movie gets to $10M, it would be a nice oasis for counterprogramming in the face of Disney and Marvel Studios’ mammoth sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ,which is expected to do a second weekend in the $70M range. That preview number for The Menu includes some cash from Wednesday and previews that began at 5 p.m. Thursday. The pic is 91% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and currently has a good audience score of 83%.

Wakanda Forever posted a $7.5M Thursday, -8% from Wednesday, for a first week of $220.7M. The pic crossed $400M worldwide Wednesday.

She Said, Universal’s movie about the New York Times reporters who exposed movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, isn’t expected to do much this weekend, in the low single digits. Previews from 1,600 theaters that began at 5 p.m. were only $160K. Remember, despite any low grosses from these arthouse-type films in the post-pandemic era, their awards-season chances won’t be slowed. I mean, some of the big awards contenders don’t even report their box office grosses. She Said is 85% certified fresh critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and has a 92% audience score from the few who’ve seen it.

RELATED: ‘She Said’ NYFF Review: Maria Schrader Film Chronicles Two Women On The Hunt For The Truth