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 Paramount Pictures' thriller directed by John Krasinski soared
past estimates to a massive $50.3 million opening in 3,508
theaters. That's enough to land it the second highest domestic
opening of the year to date behind "Black Panther," which opened
in February with $202 million. Since its debut at South by
Southwest, "A Quiet Place" has garnered rave reviews. It
currently holds an solid 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with a
B+ CinemaScore.
"This much bigger than expected debut comes in an era of ongoing
popularity for the horror genre that in North America alone last
year generated over $1 billion in box office," Paul
Dergarabedian, a media analyst at comScore, said.
Paramount's president of domestic distribution Kyle Davies,
attributed the film's success to positive word of mouth
following SXSW.
"There was a lot of momentum going into the weekend that never
stopped," Davies said. "John Krasinski has emerged as an
incredible filmmaker with a story that's simple, but has clearly
resonated with audiences." At No. 2, Steven Spielberg's "Ready
Player One" made $25 million in 4,234 locations in its second
weekend, bringing its total domestic grosses up to $97 million.
The Warner Bros.' film has been a strong contender overseas,
where it has made $294.4 million.
Another weekend release, "Blockers," secured third place at the
box office. Universal's raunchy R-rated comedy -- directed by
Kay Cannon and starring John Cena, Leslie Mann, and Ike
Barinholtz -- released in line with projections for an
impressive $21.4 million debut in 3,379 theaters. "Blockers" has
been another buzzy title from SXSW, earning an 83 percent on
Rotten Tomatoes along with a B CinemaScore.
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"We could not be more pleased with the result this weekend,"
Universal's head of distribution Jim Orr said. "Kay Cannon and her
directorial debut knocked it out of the park. It really
overperformed." Meanwhile, the eighth frame of "Black Panther"
landed at No. 4 with $8.8 million in 2,747 locations. Domestically,
the Marvel film earned $665.4 million, making it the third-biggest
release of all time behind "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and
"Avatar." Globally, "Black Panther" has grossed $1.29 billion.
Rounding out the top five is Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions' "I
Can Only Imagine," with $8.4 million in 2,894 theaters. The
faith-based film has been a force at the box office, making $69
million in four weeks.
Two other newcomers, "Chappaquiddick" and "The Miracle Season"
premiered slightly above estimates. Entertainment Studios'
"Chappaquiddick" opened with $5.9 million at 1,560 locations, while
LD Entertainment's "The Miracle Season" saw $4 million at 1,707
locations.
While the 2018 box office is down 2.1 percent compared to 2017, this
weekend is up 35 percent compared to the same weekend last year.
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