"Shazam!" Opens with $ 53 Million – Variety



[ad_1]

The magic word at the box office this weekend was "Shazam!" The last superhero adventure of Warner Bros. easily surpassed the North American charts, pocketing $ 53 million when it debuted at 4,217 sites.

Encouraged by positive reviews, "Shazam!" Arrived ahead of expectations, which projected a start in the range of $ 40 million to $ 45 million. The film also generated advanced projections of $ 3 million for a national transportation of $ 56 million.

While the opening weekend of 'Shazam!' S is lower than for a traditional cartoon movie, it was less expensive to make than making other superhero movies. This means that it is not necessary to reach the same heights as entries like "Aquaman" and "Wonder Woman" to generate profits. Warner Bros. and New Line spent $ 98 million on "Shazam!", proving that studios can create a good batch of superheroes without breaking the bank. Previous DC films, such as "Justice League" and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", cost more than $ 300 million before taking into account marketing and distribution.

"Shazam!" – described as "Big" in the world of comics – is centered on Billy Baston (Asher Angel), a teenager who turns into a superhero (Zachary Levi) who slams bubble gum when someone said the magic word. Critics and fans praised the film for its lighter version of the genre, compared to the apocalyptic scenarios of comic book adaptations. Men accounted for 57% of opening weekend audiences, while 45% of crowds were under 25 years old.

Although "Shazam!" Set the stage in North America, the remake of Paramount's "Pet Sematary" horror also got off to a good start, wiping out $ 25 million when it debuted in 3,585 locations . The supernatural thriller, based on Stephen King's novel, cost $ 21 million to produce.

The last newcomer this weekend was "Best of Enemies", with Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell in the lead roles as a civil rights advocate and KKK leader forced to work together. He reported a disappointing $ 4.5 million on 1,705 screens. Astute Films fully funded the film, which was distributed by STXfilms. Older viewers are not usually a demographic that rushes to see a movie on the opening weekend. The studio predicts that word of mouth on the drama of well-being will develop in the coming weeks, leading to a long life in theaters. Nearly 80% of moviegoers were over 25 years old and 63% were women.

A number of raises filled the charts of the North American box office. Third place, Disney's "Dumbo" re-imagined $ 18.2 million in its second outing, marking a sharp 60% drop from its debut. Led by Tim Burton, the remake of Disney's 1941 classic has surpassed $ 200 million worldwide, including $ 76 million in North America.

Universal and Jordan's Peele, which is in its third weekend of publication, raised an additional $ 13 million for a $ 152 million national transportation. The psychological thriller, starring Lupita Nyong'o and Winston Duke, cost $ 200 million in ticket sales around the world.

Disney's "Captain Marvel" adds $ 12.7 million. With Brie Larson, the superhero marquee made $ 1 billion in ticket sales, including $ 373 million from North American theaters.

Among the specialty releases, Neon's Aretha Franklin documentary "Amazing Grace" brought in $ 57,353 from three theaters, for an average of $ 19,118 per venue. This 46-year documentary film captures the Queen of the Soul as she records her critically acclaimed album in a Baptist church.

Elsewhere, Amazon Studio has published "Peterloo", a historical drama about the murderous massacre of 1819 in Manchester, in three locations. He pocketed $ 30,426 for a screen average of $ 10,142.

This weekend has continued to prove that frights and superheroes are among the most reliable box office funders. Overall, ticket sales are still around 16% behind last year, according to Comscore. This gap is shrinking as films such as "Captain Marvel" and "We" impress the audience, and Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame", the studio's epic conclusion that should break records, could help reduce more this margin.

More soon…

[ad_2]

Source link