Seven films in, the DC Extended Universe is finally flying with some wind behind its back. The well-reviewed, relatively modestly budgeted 91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� debuted with $53.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, handing DC its latest critical and box-office success.
Though one of the oldest characters in DC91裸聊视频檚 superhero stable, 91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� doesn91裸聊视频檛 boast the name-recognition of Batman or Superman. But by scaling back to a $100 million budget and going for the lighter, comic tone, 91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� steadily built up its word of mouth with stellar reviews. Warner Bros. also showed the film nationwide two weeks before opening, where it made $3 million in advance screenings.
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91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� came out well ahead of the weekend91裸聊视频檚 other top draw, 91裸聊视频淧et Sematary.91裸聊视频� Paramount Pictures91裸聊视频� remake of the original 1989 Stephen King adaptation opened in a distant second with $25 million. It91裸聊视频檚 a solid start for 91裸聊视频淧et Sematary,91裸聊视频� though far from the haul that the last big-screen adaptation of King91裸聊视频檚 conjured up: 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频� opened with $123.4 million in 2017.
Last week91裸聊视频檚 top film, 91裸聊视频淒umbo,91裸聊视频� slid steeply in its second week. Landing in third, the Disney live-action remake dropped 60% with $18.2 million.
Pitched as 91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频楤ig91裸聊视频� meets Superman,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, a teenage foster kid who transforms into an adult superhero (played by Zachary Levi).
Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief at Warner Bros., said the studio originally forecast a $40 million opening. 91裸聊视频淭hat was the right number for us,91裸聊视频� Goldstein said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 what we needed to make money on it.91裸聊视频�
But expectations grew based on reviews (91% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience reaction (an 91裸聊视频淎91裸聊视频� Cinemascore). The PG-13-rated film attracted an especially young crowd; 45% were under 25.
The result further validated DC91裸聊视频檚 pivot following the disappointments of Zack Snyder91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淏atman v Superman91裸聊视频� and David Ayer91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淪uicide Squad.91裸聊视频� Warner Bros. has since steered its comic book adaptions in a different direction, leaning more on stand-alone entries less predicated on the overall 91裸聊视频渦niverse91裸聊视频� and more fluctuating in tone. Following 91裸聊视频淲onder Woman91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淎quaman,91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频漇hazam!91裸聊视频� makes it three in a row for DC superhero standalones.
Earlier in the week, Warner Bros. also teased the DC release 91裸聊视频淛oker,91裸聊视频� with Joaquin Phoenix, at CinemaCon. An even smaller-budgeted origin story with a similarly unique, albeit much darker, tone; it was one of the most talked-about movies at the Las Vegas event.
91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频榃onder Woman91裸聊视频� was really the start of changing the ship,91裸聊视频� Goldstein said. 91裸聊视频淲hen you look at each of these properties, they91裸聊视频檙e all very different. Their approach is different. Their tone is different. But here91裸聊视频檚 the commonality: All good movies, all well done. I think that91裸聊视频檚 what you91裸聊视频檒l see out of DC is very specific approaches for that property.91裸聊视频�
Overseas, 91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� grossed $102 million in 79 markets, including $30.9 million in China.
91裸聊视频淒C has really found its groove,91裸聊视频� said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e really breaking out each character. Shazam and the Joker could not be two more different characters within the DC Universe. But I think that diversity of content is going to serve them well.91裸聊视频�
Dergarabedian noted the two most dominant genres in movies right now 91裸聊视频� superheroes and horror 91裸聊视频� swamped theatres over the weekend, taking up four of the top five spots at the box office. The stiff competition in similar-styled holdovers could have slightly depressed results for both 91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淧et Sematary.91裸聊视频� But right now, there91裸聊视频檚 scant room on the calendar between major comic book films and horror releases.
In fourth was Jordan Peele91裸聊视频檚 horror thriller 91裸聊视频淯s,91裸聊视频� which added $13.8 million in its third week. Its cumulative global total stands at $216.6 million.
Marvel91裸聊视频檚 Brie Larson-led 91裸聊视频淐aptain Marvel,91裸聊视频� which recently crossed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, took in $12.7 million domestically in its fifth weekend. Captain Marvel, ironically, was Shazam91裸聊视频檚 original name when the character was first crafted, as a Superman knockoff, in 1939. He was relaunched in 1973 as Shazam after decades of lawsuits and the debut of Marvel91裸聊视频檚 own Captain Marvel.
The weekend91裸聊视频檚 other wide-release newcomer was STX Entertainment91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淏est of Enemies,91裸聊视频� starring Taraji P. Henson as a civil rights activist and Sam Rockwell as a Ku Klux Klan leader. It opened with $4.5 million.
In limited release, Claire Denis91裸聊视频� 91裸聊视频淗igh Life,91裸聊视频� starring Robert Pattinson, opened with about $100,000 in four theatres for A24.
Neon91裸聊视频檚 Aretha Franklin documentary, 91裸聊视频淎mazing Grace,91裸聊视频� debuted with $96,000 in eight locations. The film, shot over two days at the New Bethel Baptist Church in the Watts section of Los Angeles in 1972, was lost for decades in part because its director, Sydney Pollack, failed to slate the images, leaving them not synced with the audio. Before her death last August, Franklin sued several times to prevent its release.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.
1. 91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� $53.4 million ($102 million international).
2. 91裸聊视频淧et Sematary,91裸聊视频� $25 million ($17.3 million international).
3. 91裸聊视频淒umbo,91裸聊视频� $18.2 million ($39.6 million international).
4. 91裸聊视频淯s,91裸聊视频� $13.8 million ($10.3 million international).
5. 91裸聊视频淐aptain Marvel,91裸聊视频� $12.7 million ($14.1 million international).
6. 91裸聊视频淭he Best of Enemies,91裸聊视频� $4.5 million.
7. 91裸聊视频淔ive Feet Apart,91裸聊视频� $3.7 million ($4.1 million international).
8. 91裸聊视频淯nplanned,91裸聊视频� $3.2 million.
9. 91裸聊视频淲onder Park,91裸聊视频� $2 million ($3.3 million international).
10. 91裸聊视频淗ow to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,91裸聊视频� $2 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.
1. 91裸聊视频淪hazam!91裸聊视频� $102 million.
2. 91裸聊视频淒umbo,91裸聊视频� $39.6 million.
3. 91裸聊视频淧 Storm,91裸聊视频� $27.5 million.
4. 91裸聊视频淧et Sematary,91裸聊视频� $17.3 million.
5. 91裸聊视频淐aptain Marvel,91裸聊视频� $14.1 million.
6. 91裸聊视频淯s,91裸聊视频� $10.3 million.
7. 91裸聊视频淎ndhadhun,91裸聊视频� $7.6 million.
8. 91裸聊视频淪ong of Youth,91裸聊视频� $4.5 million.
9. 91裸聊视频淔ive Feet Apart,91裸聊视频� $4.1 million.
10. 91裸聊视频淐loud in the Wind,91裸聊视频� $3.4 million.
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
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