The sexy tennis drama B次元官网网址� Challengers B次元官网网址� won the box office this weekend with $15 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Zendaya and castmates Mike Faist and Josh OB次元官网网址機onnor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca GuadagninoB次元官网网址檚 original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Ticket sales from large format screens, including IMAX, made up about 40% of the opening weekend grosses. According to PostTrak exit poll reported by Deadline, 55% of audiences said they went to see the film because of Zendaya. In fact, this weekend, Zendaya movies accounted for around 26% of the overall box office with the re-release of B次元官网网址� Dune: Part Two B次元官网网址� in IMAX.
The 27-year-old actor has been part of some of the most successful franchises of the last few years, including the B次元官网网址淪pider-ManB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淒uneB次元官网网址� movies. In both cases those were supporting roles in massive brand-name properties, but her eye-catching red carpet looks also often make headlines. B次元官网网址淐hallengersB次元官网网址� would be the first real test of her ability to B次元官网网址渙penB次元官网网址� a film on her own star and MGM and Amazon were not going to risk doing it without her.
The studio had originally planned to release B次元官网网址淐hallengersB次元官网网址� in the fall of 2023, with a picturesque launch at the Venice Film Festival. But when the actors went on strike last July, the studio made the decision to scuttle the festival premiere and move the film to this weekend when they could safely assume the strike would be resolved. Zendaya sported many tennis-themed looks, styled by Law Roach, for her appearances.
Reviews have been largely positive for the R-rated movie, which teases a steamy and competitive love triangle between the tennis players. It currently has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and got a B+ CinemaScore from opening day audiences. Women made up 58% of ticket buyers, who also skewed younger overall: 41% were between the ages of 18 and 24.
GuadagninoB次元官网网址檚 last film B次元官网网址淏ones and All,B次元官网网址� starring ZendayaB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淒uneB次元官网网址� co-star Timoth茅e Chalamet made $15.2 million in its entire run. By mid-week, B次元官网网址淐hallengersB次元官网网址� expected to surpass B次元官网网址淐all Me By Your NameB次元官网网址� ($18 million) to become GuadagninoB次元官网网址檚 highest grossing film.
For Amazon MGM Studios, the value also extends beyond the box office driving a B次元官网网址渄ownstream valueB次元官网网址� for Amazon, including when B次元官网网址淐hallengersB次元官网网址� eventually makes its way to Prime B次元官网网址.
Second place went to the faith-based film B次元官网网址淯nsung Hero,B次元官网网址� which made an estimated $7.8 million from 2,832 locations. ItB次元官网网址檚 based on the true story of the Smallbone family, and the rise of their children Rebecca St. James, and sons Joel and David (for KING + COUNTRY) in the country music scene. Joel Smallbone directed, co-wrote and portrays his father David.
The Lionsgate film, which was made for only $6 million, scored a rare A+ CinemaScore and has a 100% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The criticB次元官网网址檚 score is a much more tempered 58%. Audiences were overwhelmingly female (69%) and over 25 (91).
A24B次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淐ivil WarB次元官网网址� also added $7 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $56.2 million.
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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
