It’s a great weekend to go to the movies—and people aregoing. All three of this week’s major new releases are overperforming, with theJohn Krasinski-directed horror filmA Quiet Placeon top with a whopping $19 million on Friday. That puts the critically acclaimed thriller on pace for a weekend total of $45 million or more, one of the best opening weekends ever for a horror film. The Paramount picture came together quickly, with Krasinski rewriting the script and casting his wifeEmily Bluntto star opposite himself in a thriller with a strong emotional core. It may be a movie about monsters who hunt using sound, but it’s also really a story about parenthood. The strong critical reception and B+ CinemaScore suggest this is only the beginning, asA Quiet Placecould have very strong legs in the weeks to come.
Then there’s Universal’sBlockers, which at first looked to be a standard raunchy R-rated teen sex comedy, but in fact is a smart, emotional, and socially relevant spin on what could crudely be described as a “femaleSuperbad.” Spearheaded by30 RockandPitch PerfectwriterKay Cannonmaking her directorial debut, the comedy about three parents trying to prevent their kids from having sex on prom night is a surprisingly poignant story about consent, sexual politics, and gender dynamics. And the true magic trick is that Cannon touches on these issues in a way that doesn’t feel ham-fisted or patronizing.
Boosted by strong reviews,Blockersgrossed $7.4 million on Friday and is projected to debut to around $20 million for the weekend. That’s a solid number for a genre that can be incredibly hit or miss, and one imagines word of mouth will also be key here.
And then there’sChappaquiddick, the Entertainment Studios drama aboutTed Kennedy’s 1969 scandal that left a woman dead.Jason Clarkeinhibits the role with a stellar performance in a movie that pulls no punches, and the film pulled in a estimated $1.8 million on Friday for a weekend debut around $5 million. That may not seem like much, but the drama—which tackles difficult subject matter and doesn’t hail from one of the major studios—had originally been pegged to open between $2 million and $4 million.
As for holdovers,Steven Spielberg’s blockbusterReady Player One—which bested expectations last weekend in its debut—is expected to come in at second place for the weekend with an estimated $23 million. That would be a drop of less than 45%, which is solid.
Oh, andBlack Pantherisstillgoing strong. Today the film’s domestic total will hit $659.3 million, which will put it aboveTitanic’s 20-year record, securing the #3 spot on the all-time domestic box office chart.
Check out the Top 5 below and check back tomorrow for a full rundown of the weekend. Happy viewing!
A Quiet Place
$19,000,000
$7,810,000
Ready Player One
$6,800,000
$78,660,525
Tyler Perry’s Acrimony
$2,450,000
$25,734,580
Black Panther
$2,336,000
$659,261740
