Viola Davis-led action epic “The Woman King” easily conquered the North American box office in its first weekend in theaters, taking on a crowded market of new releases. , directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, exceeded expectations and recorded $19 million in ticket sales.
“The Woman King” was released in 3,765 locations by Sony and TriStar, with a reported production budget of $50 million co-funded by eOne. Depicting the Agoziers, the all-female army of the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s, the film received critical acclaim after its debut at the Toronto Film Festival. It currently boasts a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Theater audiences seem equally enthusiastic, earning rare A+ cinema scores, suggesting word of mouth will be strong in the coming weeks.
Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dargarabedian said: theater.
Twentieth Century Studios’ horror film The Barbarian came in second with $6.3 million in its second weekend.
A24 Horror Prequel “Pearl”, Searchlight’s Starry Sky Mystery “See How They Run”, NEON’s David Bowie Documentary “Moonage Daydream”, Paramount, Miramax’s “Confession, Fletch” , Jon Hamm, and ‘The Silent Twins’ on Focus Features. But it was still a slow week for business overall, even though most boasted good reviews.
The 1950s-set murder mystery See How They Run, starring Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell, has an estimated domestic debut of $3.1 million from 2,404 locations.
Ti West’s “Pearl” also earned an estimated $3.1 million. A24 released a movie starring Mia Her Goth as a farmer’s daughter dreaming of movie stardom on 2,935 screens. The first movie, ‘X’, was released in March for her $4.3 million, and the studio has already greenlit her third movie, ‘MaXXXine.’
Meanwhile, Brett Morgen’s Bowie documentary “Moonage Daydream” premiered exclusively on IMAX screens this weekend, earning $1.2 million in North America and reaching number 10.
“This may not be a blockbuster-filled corridor, but this is a great weekend,” said Dergarabedian. There is, just look for the gems.”
Next week, Olivia Wilde’s blockbuster “Don’t Worry Darling” will be released and could boost the box office. However, the superhero movies are “Black Adam” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”.
Estimated ticket sales Friday through Sunday at theaters in the United States and Canada, according to Comscore.
1. “Queen” $19 million.
2. “The Barbarian” $6.3 million.
3. “Pearl,” $3.1 million.
4. “See How They Run,” $3.1 million.
5. “Shinkansen,” $2.5 million.
6. “Top Gun: Maverick” $2.2 million.
7. “DC League of Super Pets,” $2.2 million.
8. “The Invitation,” $1.7 million.
9. “Minions: Rise of Gru,” $1.3 million.
10. “Moonage Daydream” $1.2 million.
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