Box Office Update: Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’ Thrills Audiences with Strong Opening Weekend
According to a report from Variety, the R-rated vampire thriller ‘Sinners’, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, has taken the top spot at the box office in its opening weekend. The film collected $48 million from 3,308 North American theaters, outperforming initial estimates of $45.6 million.
As reported by Variety, the success of ‘Sinners’ can be attributed to the popularity of Coogler and Jordan, as well as the film’s stellar reviews. The movie boasts a near-perfect 98% average on Rotten Tomatoes, and audiences have given it an “A” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. This marks the only horror film in over 35 years to receive an “A” CinemaScore.
The film’s international box office performance has also been impressive, with an additional $15.4 million added to its global tally, making it $63.5 million worldwide. David A. Gross, who runs the FranchiseRe movie consulting firm, commented on the film’s performance, stating, “This is an excellent opening for a period horror film. It should have a good run now.” However, he also noted that the film’s enormous production cost of $90 million will make profitability a challenge.
In an interview with Variety, Imax’s CEO, Rich Gelfond, expressed his satisfaction with the film’s performance, saying, “It’s been an awesome ride partnering with Ryan on this highly acclaimed, magnificently shot film. We couldn’t be happier that Imax played a part in a successful opening for ‘Sinners’.”
The film’s success has also been attributed to its broad appeal, with nearly 40% of initial ticket buyers being Black, while 35% were white, 18% were Hispanic, and 5% were Asian. Premium large formats like Dolby and 4DX accounted for 45% of ticket sales, with Imax alone representing 20% of revenues.
As noted by Variety, ‘Sinners’ and ‘A Minecraft Movie’ are helping to turn the box office tides for Warner Bros. after a string of theatrical misfires. The studio’s Motion Picture Group co-chairs, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, expressed their satisfaction with the film’s performance, stating, “Movies have the power to transport us to worlds only seen on the big screen, and Warner Bros. Pictures remains committed to bringing singular in-theater experiences to audiences looking for bold movies, both original and those based on beloved existing properties.”
The box office results for ‘Sinners’ are a positive sign for the industry, with revenues currently 5% ahead of last year, although still 29% behind 2019, according to Comscore. Upcoming releases like Marvel’s ‘Thunderbolts’, Tom Cruise’s ‘Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning’, and Disney’s ‘Lilo & Stitch’ remake will be crucial in boosting the box office to its pre-pandemic levels.
In the rest of the top five, ‘A Minecraft Movie’ settled for second place with $41.3 million, while ‘The King of Kings’ collected $17 million in its second weekend of release. Disney’s ‘The Amateur’ dropped to fourth place with $6.8 million, and A24’s ‘Warfare’ rounded out the top five with $4.8 million.
The success of ‘Sinners’ demonstrates the power of well-made, original films to attract audiences and drive box office results. As Variety reports, the film’s performance is a testament to the talents of Coogler and Jordan, who have established themselves as a formidable team in Hollywood. With their rare agreement for Coogler to eventually own the film rights for ‘Sinners’ after 25 years, Warner Bros. has demonstrated its confidence in the duo’s abilities.
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