Producer James Wan and The Conjuring brand showcased their strength at the box office yet again over the weekend. Despite this Easter frame being the lowest box office Easter since 2005, The Curse of La Llorona opened way above expectations.
Our number one film this weekend is The Curse of La Llorona which grossed an estimated $26.5 million. The film was profitable after its opening day which came in at $11.8 million, making it clear that the $9 million film was a great investment for New Line/Warner Bros. Llorona was tracking in the $17-18 million range so they have to be happy with the result and even if all eyes will be on Avengers: Endgame next week, Llorona has a shot at a final gross of $55-60 million if the drops aren’t too severe. The film received a “B-” CinemaScore which isn’t too bad for horror. Internationally, Curse of La Llorona launched in 71 markets, bringing in an estimated $30 million for a $56.5 million global launch. The debut was led by a $5.3 million opening in Mexico. I expect a sequel announcement any day now…
Dropping to second is Shazam! with an estimated $17.3 million. That’s a drop of 29.1% which is a solid hold for week three. Shazam! is going to take a huge hit next weekend with the release of Avengers: Endgame but with $121.3 million made at the domestic box office off a $100 million budget, the performance of Shazam! is still one of the better box office success stories of the year. Internationally, the film added another $22 million this weekend, pushing its overseas total to $201.5 for a worldwide gross that now tops $322 million.
Debuting in third is Breakthrough with an estimated $11.1 million. The faith-based film has grossed $14.6 million since opening on Wednesday and the target audience seems to love it, blessing it with an “A” CinemaScore. I’m hearing the film cost about $14 million to make and if it can see some decent holds, it should become a moderate hit for the studio.
Rising to fourth is Captain Marvel with an estimated $9.1 million. The film actually rose 6% this weekend as it’s clear fans are doing some Avengers: Endgame prep before next weekend. The film finished sixth last weekend and the rise is made even more impressive by the fact that the movie lost 322 screens this weekend. The film hit an important milestone at the domestic box office with a gross that now stands at $400 million. It’s the seventh Marvel film to hit the mark and it took 45 days to do so. For comparison’s sake, Captain America: Civil War took 44 days while Iron Man 3 took 47 days to do. The film also added another $6.5 million this weekend overseas for an international total that now stands at $689.5 million and a global tally that is now $1.089 billion.
Rounding out the top five is Little with an estimated $8.4 million. That’s a drop of 45.1% which is a little steeper than I anticipated but the $20 million film has grossed $29.3 million to date and it’s on its way to possibly $40-45 million which is a success in its own right. I’m sure other studios will want to hear more pitches from its young star after seeing how this film has performed.
Check out the full top ten results below:
| Film | Total | % Change | Gross to Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onward | $10,601,952 | -72.9% | $60.3 |
| Bloodshot | $9,176,695 | NEW | $9.17 |
| I Still Believe | $9,103,614 | NEW | $9.10 |
| The Invisible Man | $5,890,805 | -61.1% | $64.3 |
| The Hunt | $5,304,455 | NEW | $5.3 |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | $2,522,584 | -67.3% | $145.7 |
| The Way Back | $2,356,115 | -71.2% | $13.3 |
| The Call of the Wild | $2,226,720 | -67.1% | $62 |
| Emma. | $1,295,215 | -73% | $9.9 |
| Bad Boys for Life | $1,102,208 | -63.5% | $204.2 |
