The box office is settling back into its time-proven pre-pandemic pattern of “If it’s horror, it opens at $18-20 million” with “Smile,” a nicely-hyped thriller built on the infectious “Smile” of its victims/perpetrators.

After a slow Thursday, a decent Friday is pushing this one to a $22 million opening weekend, according to Deadline.com.

That’s enough to win most weekends these days, with last weekend’s “Don’t Worry, Darling” slumping over 60% to $7.5 million on its second weekend out. It will have cleared $33 all-in, by midnight Sunday. Not a bomb, but not likely to have legs or clear $50 million when all is said and done.

“The Woman King,” on the other hand, may stick around longer as it adds another $6.2 million and will clear the $50 million mark by next week.

Billy Eichner’s first big screen kiss, “Bros,” is a wide-release bust. A $4.75 million opening for a heavily-hyped, generally funny but somewhat unromantic rom-com isn’t great. Back to “Billy on the Street” it is.

An Indian epic, “Ponniyan Selvan:Part One” managed $2.1 million in fairly wide release.

“Bullet Train” clears the $100 million mark thanks to another $1.3, and “D.C.’s League of Super Pets” is closing in on $100 million — shockingly clearing the $91 million mark. “Top Gun: Maverick” and the “Avatar” re-release killed any chance the Roadside Attractions Sigourney Weaver/Kevin Kline dramedy “The Good House” from opening in the top ten. That too, bombed (under $700K).