Not all have to be sequels or superheroes.
“queenThe original war drama, starring Viola Davis, “raised $19 million in ticket sales from Sony Pictures Entertainment over the weekend, beating analysts’ expectations by at least 25%.” It was the best September opening for a similar film since ‘Sully’.
Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood from a script by Dana Stevens, “The Woman King” focuses on the Agoggie, an all-female warrior group in Africa in the 1800s. Trailers and other preview materials for the film sparked boycott calls on social media. overlooked or ignored aspects of the slave trade.But the “Queen” received enthusiastic reviewMore importantly, ticket buyers gave the PG-13 film an A-plus rating in CinemaScore’s exit poll.
With little competition from older ticket buyers in the coming weeks, “The Woman King” could end up making nearly $100 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to box office analysts. “These films will play at healthy multiples for the rest of the week,” said David A. Gross, who runs film consultancy Franchise Entertainment Research.
Production costs for “The Woman King” were approximately $50 million, excluding marketing costs, to be jointly paid by Sony and eOne.
According to Sony, approximately 58% of “The Woman King” viewers were over the age of 35, and 39% were over the age of 45.
The R-rated “Barbarian” (a 20th Century Studios production in Disney’s division) was the second highest-grossing weekend at the domestic box office, grossing about $6.3 million in tickets for a two-week total of $20.9 million. The tale “Pearl” (A24) came in third, raising $3.1 million.