Brand names, not filmmakers or stars, are said to rule the box office these days. But Ryan Coogler's Sinners, led by twin Michael B. Jordans, proved a bloody exception to modern movie rules, launching with $45.6 million in ticket sales in US and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. release, which cost about $90 million to produce, was a bold gamble on originality—albeit with genre elements—and one of the most bankable American directors in Coogler, the AP reports. The Creed and Black Panther director wrote and produced Sinners, a 1932-set vampire movie about bootlegging brothers (both played by Jordan) who open a juke joint in their Mississippi hometown.
A Minecraft Movie, the year's biggest Hollywood hit, followed close behind, collecting $41.3 million in its third week of release. The film, which Warner Bros. co-produced with Legendary Pictures, has amassed $720.8 million worldwide. Angel Studios' The King of Kings, an animated tale of Jesus' life aimed at Christian audiences, capitalized on the Easter weekend, grossing $17.2 million in its second week of release. That was nearly equal to its opening weekend ($19.1 million), and brought The King of Kings to a domestic total of $45.3 million. Bleecker Street's The Wedding Banquet, Andrew Ahn's reimagining of Ang Lee's 1993 queer comedy of errors, opened on 1,142 North American screens with $922,906 in ticket sales. The Wedding Banquet was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival.
Below are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
- Sinners, $45.6 million.
- A Minecraft Movie, $41.3 million.
- The King of Kings, $17.3 million.
- The Amateur, $7.2 million.
- Warfare, $4.9 million.
- Drop, $3.4 million.
- Colorful Stage: The Movie, $2.8 million.
- Pride & Prejudice, $2.7 million.
- The Chosen: Last Supper, $1.8 million.
- Snow White, $1.2 million.
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