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The Easter weekend has proven to be a standout for Warner Bros., with “A Minecraft Movie” achieving its third consecutive week at the top of the box office. Simultaneously, Ryan Coogler’s latest horror endeavor, “Sinners,” has made an impressive debut, garnering unprecedented acclaim from both critics and audiences.
According to Saturday’s industry forecasts, “Minecraft” is projected to amass $45 million during its third weekend, reflecting a decline of only 43%. This brings its impressive domestic total to approximately $348 million. The film’s success can be attributed to the ongoing school spring breaks, ensuring a steady stream of young viewers eager to enjoy the film. Overall, it is estimated that “Minecraft” will surpass the remarkable milestone of $1 billion worldwide.
On the other hand, “Sinners” has kicked off with a solid performance, accumulating $19 million from 3,308 locations on Friday and is estimated to reach a $41 million opening weekend. This is a promising start for a production with a reported net budget of $90 million. However, in order for Warner Bros. to see a theatrical profit, the film will need to sustain strong ticket sales, particularly given its first-dollar revenue sharing agreement with Coogler.
With critics praising the film, “Sinners” is on track to become one of the most highly regarded horror films in recent history. It boasts remarkable scores on Rotten Tomatoes with 98% from critics and 97% from audiences, as well as a perfect 5/5 rating on PostTrak and an exceptional A grade on CinemaScore.
In the realm of audience polling, a B or B+ is generally regarded as a positive for horror films, while an A- is an elusive achievement, attained only by a few genre classics such as Jordan Peele’s “Get Out,” James Wan’s “The Conjuring,” and Jonathan Demme’s “The Silence of the Lambs.” Notably, “Sinners” has made history as the first horror film to score an A on CinemaScore since James Cameron’s “Aliens” in 1986.
Just as “Aliens” seamlessly combined horror with action, “Sinners” adeptly merges its terrifying vampire themes with serious drama and engaging musical moments. This unique blend has captured the attention of both critics and audiences, potentially setting the stage for Coogler to emerge as a prominent director akin to Jordan Peele. The opening of “Sinners” aims to surpass the $44 million garnered by Peele’s “Nope” in 2022, positioning itself as the highest-opening original film since the onset of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, “The King of Kings,” produced by Angel Studios in partnership with Mofac Animation, continues to appeal to Christian audiences during the Easter weekend. The film experienced only a 12% decline from its $19 million opening, projecting a second weekend total of $17 million and a cumulative 10-day total of $45 million. Even if there are more significant drops in the upcoming weekends with children returning to school, this animated retelling of the Gospel now stands alongside “Sound of Freedom” as a notable success for Angel Studios.
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www.thewrap.com