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 "La Llorona" is the latest horror movie to outperform
expectations, further cementing the genre as a reliable box
office draw. Even so, "La Llorona" and other new releases
"Breakthrough" and "Penguins" couldn't salvage movie theaters
from suffering the worst Easter weekend showing in almost 15
years. This weekend's offerings amassed $112 million in ticket
sales, the lowest haul since 2005, according to Comscore. The
decline in sales is likely because the rest of Hollywood avoided
opening a big movie ahead of Disney and Marvel's "Avengers:
Endgame," which is expected to crush records when it debuts on
April 26.
"La Llorona" also debuted in 71 international markets, where it
collected $30 million for a global start of $56.5 million. The
supernatural thriller, set in the "Conjuring" universe, cost $9
million to produce. The film is based on the Mexican folklore
about the Weeping Woman, a figure who lost her children and
causes misfortune to those nearby. James Wan, known for his work
on "Aquaman," "The Conjuring," and "Saw," served as a producer.
Warner Bros. and New Line claimed the top two spots at the box
office as last weekend's champ "Shazam!" dropped to second
place. The comic-book adventure added another $17 million in its
third weekend of release, taking ticket sales to $121 million at
the domestic market.
"Breakthrough," a faith-based film about a parent's unwavering
love for their children, debuted at No. 3, generating $11
million over the weekend and $14 million during its first five
days of release. That's a solid start for "Breakthrough,"
Disney's first Fox release since the $71 billion merger, since
the film cost $14 million to produce.
"Roxann Dawson, DeVon Franklin, and the Fox 2000 team have
delivered a wonderfully crafted, deeply emotional film that
we're thrilled to see resonating with audiences," said Cathleen
Taff, Disney's president of global distribution. "And with
excellent reviews and word of mouth, we expect a healthy run
ahead."
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Overseas, "Breakthrough" earned $5.9 million for a global start
of $20.5 million. "Breakthrough" stars "This Is Us" actress
Chrissy Metz as a mother who refuses to give up hope after her
adopted son suffers a near-fatal fall through an icy lake.
Roxann Dawson directed the movie, which was produced by DeVon
Franklin ("Miracles from Heaven," "Heaven Is for Real,") and
executive produced by NBA star Stephen Curry. Females accounted
for 65 percent of the domestic opening weekend crowd for
"Breakthrough," while 70 percent of moviegoers were over the age
of 25. Audiences embraced the film, giving it an A CinemaScore.
Disney also released "Penguins," a documentary narrated by Ed
Helms. It debuted below expectations, picking up $2.3 million
from 1,815 venues and $3.3 million through its first five days
in theaters.
In fourth place, Disney's "Captain Marvel" pocketed $9 million
in its seventh weekend in theaters. That bounty puts the
female-fronted superhero movie past the $400 million mark in
North America. "Captain Marvel" likely saw a bump in ticket
sales in anticipation of "Avengers: Endgame." "Captain Marvel"
has now earned $1.09 billion, making it the eighth biggest
superhero movie of all time.
Universal's "Little" rounded out the top five with $8 million
for a domestic tally of $29 million.
At the specialty box office, "Her Smell," a musical drama
starring Elisabeth Moss, continued its platform release. It
picked up $68,736 when expanded to 24 theaters ($2,864 per
screen), bringing its domestic total to $117,577.
Another musically-infused title, LD Entertainment and Bleecker
Street's "Teen Spirit," picked up $250,536 when it expanded to
696 theaters, averaging a disappointing $360 per venue. The
film, directed by Max Minghella and starring Elle Fanning, has
grossed $305,356 to date.
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