Box Office Report for the Weekend of April 27

Not even a week after Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos called movie theatres “an outdated concept,” moviegoers proved to him that the joy of seeing films on the BIG SCREEN is alive and well. For the first time in two years, the top four films of the weekend have grossed over $20 million, starting with Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which only dropped SIX PERCENT from last week, with an incredible $45 million gross in its second weekend.

The highly positive word-of-mouth is definitely contributing to its incredible success, and the film is on track to at least make $300 million globally by the end of its run, which would make it one of the most successful original films of the past decade. The 6% drop is also one of the smallest in the history of modern movies, and almost matches the $47 million figure it made in its opening weekend. Insane, and the momentum is still holding strong, even with the juggernaut that is Thunderbolts* forcing Warner Bros. to release their IMAX 70mm screenings come next week for the MCU to take over.

Even better, the second-highest-grossing movie of the weekend is a re-release of a twenty-year-old film, with Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Its incredible $25 million tally makes it the second highest-grossing opening weekend for a re-release in cinema history, behind the 1997 special edition of Star Wars. To anyone who thought the film wouldn’t do well, considering it has been available at home since its initial release, to quote Anakin Skywalker, “You underestimate my power.” The fanbase of George Lucas’ third prequel has grown much stronger than when it was initially released. It’s absolutely no surprise that the movie would do well if given the chance to screen again in cinemas.

The Accountant 2 has also opened at a similar number than the first film, making over $24 million in its first weekend and is likely on its way to become as much of a success as the 2016 movie did. It could even outpace it, considering that critical reviews are much better this go-around than when the first Accountant released and left many viewers relatively cold. We’ll have to see how many legs it gains, but I have a feeling there will be much to celebrate. While Until Dawn unceremoniously petered out at the box office, Minecraft continues to rake in the big bucks and adds $22 million to an impressive $816 million global tally.

I have a feeling that we are officially kicking off an incredible summer of hits with Sinners, and soon Thunderbolts*, Mission: Impossible, Superman, Fantastic Four, and many others. There’s also much to be happy about the future of cinema in my neck of the woods, as my neighborhood venue, which closed down in February after years of neglect from its previous owner, will re-open under new ownership, who plans to renovate the entire cinema and equip its rooms with laser projectors, DTS-X surround sound, and reclining seats, while also (potentially) keeping the IMAX rooms with affordable ticket ranges. And it will open in three to four weeks from now.

To say I’m elated is an understatement. If this isn’t a sign that the movies are undoubtedly back, I don’t know what is.

Here is the full list of the top ten films of the weekend:

1. Sinners (Warner Bros): $45.0M (-6%) – 3,347 theatres
2. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith: 20th Anniversary Re-Release (Disney): $25.2M – 2,775 theatres
3. The Accountant 2 (Amazon MGM Studios): $24.4M – 3,610 theatres
4. A Minecraft Movie (Warner Bros): $22.7M (-44%) – 3,841 theatres
5. Until Dawn (Sony): $8.0M – 3,055 theatres
6. The King of Kings (Angel Studios): $4.0M (-77%) – 3,175 theatres
7. The Amateur (Disney): $3.8M (-46%) – 3,060 theatres
8. Warfare (A24): $2.65M (-43%) – 1,905 theatres
9. Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII (Trafalgar Releasing): $2.62M – 678 theatres
10. The Legend of Ochi (A24): $1.4M (+2648%) – 1,153 theatres

Source: Comscore