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Steven Spielberg’s latest film, Ready Player One, arrived in a big way, topping the box-office weekend with a $41.2 million take (and a $53.2 million opening overall). This marks the best opening that a Spielberg movie has enjoyed since Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull did back in 2008.

Finishing in a very distant second place was Tyler Perry’s Acrimony, which, like Ready Player One, opened this week, but with $17.1 million and not the numbers akin to blockbuster status. Black Panther again did decent business, adding another $11.3 million to bring its seven-week domestic total to $650.7 million.

Falling from third to fourth, an expected fall given the arrival of the new Spielberg film, I Can Only Imagine brought its three-week total to $55.6 million adding $10.8 million over the weekend. In its second week of release, Pacific Rim: Uprising succumbed to a sharp decline in ticket sales, plummeting from $41.2 million last week to $9.2 million this weekend.

Box Office March 30-April 1, 2018

Ready Player One premiered in the Number One spot at the box office with $41.2 Million. Ready Player One was the best opening for a Steven Spielberg in a decade.

Tyler Perry’s Acrimony premiered in Second Place at the box office with $17.1 Million so far.

Black Panther was [...]

Continue reading: Box Office: March 30-April 1, 2018: Ready Player One, Acrimony, Black Panther, & More

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I Can Only Imagine becomes Roadside Attractions’ biggest Us hit; ‘Black Panther’ crosses $650m.

April 2 Update: Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One made a strong start at the North American box office this weekend, easily taking the number one spot from a slumping Pacific Rim: Uprising.

Spielberg’s Warner Bros-distributed outing opened with a confirmed $41.8m from the three-day weekend and $53.7m since its Thursday opening. The take was in line with expectations for the sci-fi adventure with a reported budget of $150m-$175m.

Ready Player One opened internationally with $127.5m, giving the nostalgic, effects-heavy adaptation of a 2011 novel...

“Ready Player One” scored at home and abroad with $181 million worldwide, creating his biggest success since “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” in 2008. Even so, the box-office slump of 2018 continues. The weekend dropped over 20 percent from the same date last year, bringing the year to over three percent lower through the first quarter of 2018.

Read More: ‘Ready Player One’: Steven Spielberg Is the King of Blockbusters, and He Needs a Hit

Spielberg’s film is the second-best weekend opening of the year, and only the second over $40 million. By this time last year, eight films had better openings, with six of them higher than “Ready Player One.”

If “Ready” has a three-time multiple of its first four days, it would total $170 million. That would be a strong achievement, although his 18th-biggest film overall. The never-certain China dominated the $128 million showing in most of the world (Japan...

After Marvel's Black Panther was finally dethroned following five straight weeks atop the box office, it paved the way for a crop of new champs, starting with Pacific Rim Uprising last weekend, and Ready Player One this weekend. The reign of Pacific Rim Uprising was a short one, dropping a whopping 67.3% from first place to fifth place, while Ready Player One fared just as well as expected, taking in an estimated $41.2 million, falling in line with most projections. While this adaptation of Ernest Cline's novel had been projected by some to take in over $50 million this weekend, its debut was solid nonetheless.

Warner Bros. rolled out Ready Player One in a big way, with a huge theater count of 4,234, earning a solid per-screen average of $9,733. The movie opened a day earlier on Thursday, March 29, and when taking into account its opening day and Wednesday sneak previews, the movie has taken in $53.2 million,...

Coming in on par with Mojo's pre-weekend forecast, Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One topped the weekend box office and delivered the director's largest opening weekend in ten years. The weekend also saw a strong second place debut for Lionsgate's Acrimony, the latest film from Tyler Perry, while Black Panther and I Can Only Imagine remain in the top five with their continued impressive runs.

Not so impressive was the debut for Pure Flix's God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness, which finished outside the top ten and short of expectations.

At the top of the box office is Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, delivering an estimated $53.2 million four-day after debuting on Thursday, and $41.2 million for the standard three-day weekend for the fifth largest Easter opening ever. The film is the largest opening weekend for Spielberg since the $100 million debut for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the...

Steven Spielberg’s latest blockbuster topped the domestic box office over the four-day holiday weekend.

Warner Bros.’ “Ready Player One” debuted in line with recent projections of $53 million from 4,324 locations. The film opened Thursday, getting a head start over its fellow weekend releases, “Tyler Perry’s Acrimony” and “God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness.”

The virtual reality fantasy, which currently holds an A- CinemaScore and 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, released internationally with $128 million since it opened in Tuesday previews, bringing its worldwide total up to an impressive $181.2 million. The film based on Ernest Cline’s novel stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg and T.J. Miller.

“We’re absolutely thrilled,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. domestic distribution president. “Steven Spielberg is just an incredible director of our time. Nobody else could have done this but Steven. The film itself is just an extraordinary piece of movie making.

Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” will take over the domestic box office during Easter weekend with $53 million from 4,234 locations.

The Vr-fantasy film starring Tye Sheridan launched a day early on Thursday after Warner Bros. decided to move up the release to take advantage of the vacation-friendly Easter holiday. With the added day, “Ready Player One” will come out more than $30 million ahead of the No. 2 film, “Tyler Perry’s Acrimony,” which is set to reel in roughly $16 million from 2,006 sites.

“Ready Player One” grossed $17 million on Friday, ahead of early forecasts, which had pegged the pic at around $38 million to $42 million for the Thursday through Sunday period. The film also opened day and date in 62 international markets, and earned roughly $28 million Friday for a foreign total of $42 million. In China, “Ready Player One” debuted at No. 1 with $14 million on Friday for a 60% box office share, marking the third-highest Chinese debut for a Warner Bros.

For all Taraji P. Henson fans out there – and I'm a card-carrying, dues-paid-up member of the club – the bad news is that her latest feature, following on the heels of this year's hitwoman horror show Proud Mary, sucks this glorious actress down into more cinematic quicksand. Tyler Perry's Acrimony, presumably titled to set it apart from your acrimony or mine, is a female revenge saga packed with so much hysteria that it could set back the burgeoning #MeToo movement a beat or two. Showcasing Henson in this crass ripoff...

Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” has launched impressively with a $12 million opening day, portending a four-day Easter weekend total of more than $50 million at 4,234 North American locations.

Friday’s estimate came in well above Warner Bros.’ tracking from a day earlier, which had been $45 million. The studio had already adjusted its projection upward from the $38 million to $42 million range earlier in the week.

The sci-fi spectacle earned an A- CinemaScore with an audience that was 59% male. The overall audience was 44% under 25, who gave it an A-, while those over 25 gave the film a B+.

The solid opening day performance validates the studio’s decision to move up the opening by a day to Thursday to take advantage of many moviegoers being on vacation during the period.

The movie is also debuting day and date internationally in 62 markets, with $3.2 million in foreign grosses since opening in Tuesday previews.

Based on Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel,...

Tyler Perry’s “Acrimony” grossed $1 million at the Thursday previews, and is on its way to a $10 million opening weekend. In comparison, Perry’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween” earned $855,000 in previews and went on to earn $28 million its opening weekend, while “Boo 2!” took in $760,000 on Thursday before opening to $21.2 million. “Acrimony” stars Taraji P. Henson as a faithful wife who concocts a plan of vengeance after discovering that her husband (Lyriq Bent) has been unfaithful. It was produced for $20 million. Also Read: 'Boo 2!' Review: Tyler Perry Leaves a Flaming Bag of Poo on Your Doorstep “Acrimony”...

In “Fatal Attraction” (1987), the thriller that brought a new kind of possessed feminine rage to the screen, the Glenn Close character — a scorned Medusa — often did things that looked crazy; she stalked and terrorized, she flashed her demon smile, she boiled a bunny rabbit. Yet there was a core of furious sanity to her lunacy. She’d been seduced and betrayed, and she stood in for all the women who had ever felt used in that way. She may have snapped, but on the movie’s terms she’d earned the right to go off her rocker.

“Tyler Perry’s Acrimony” is Perry’s inside-out, topsy-turvy, screw-loose variation on “Fatal Attraction.” In this case, the vengeful hellraiser at the film’s center keeps telling us that she’s justified. Yet the more you look at her actions, the more she just seems nuts.

Melinda, played by Taraji P. Henson in her mode of trademark wrath,...

It may be hard to believe, but Tyler Perry's dramatic movies are actually worse than his comedies.

For evidence, look no further than Acrimony (or Tyler Perry's Acrimony, if you care to indulge the branding), which could be considered a psychological thriller except for the fact that none of the psychology rings true and there are absolutely no thrills. There are unintentional laughs, to be sure. In abundance. But the film is so ridiculously overwrought that it makes the Madea films look subtle by comparison. The filmmaker's loyal fans will no doubt show up in droves, but if the audience's...

Warner Bros. rolled out the highly-anticipated Steven Spielberg adaptation Ready Player One in over 3,500 theaters for sneak peek screenings last night, where it fared quite well, earning roughly $3.8 million. With these numbers in hand, it pushes the four-day projections from Thursday through Sunday from $45 million to between $52 and $55 million for this adaptation of Ernest Cline's nostalgia-heavy novel. While it will have two new competitors in theaters tomorrow, with Lionsgate's Tyler Perry's Acrimony and PureFlix's God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness, it is still expected to dominate the box office throughout the Easter holiday weekend. Combined with the Wednesday night sneak peeks, the first day total estimate for Thursday is expected to be between $10 million and $12.5 million. Here's what analytical firm RelishMix had to say about the movie.

"Fans of the novel by Ernest Cline, Spielberg movies and classic video games are 'all in' and ready to dive in the deep end.

Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” could top the $50 million mark at the North American box office in its opening weekend over the Easter holiday, early estimates showed Thursday.

Warner Bros. adhered to its guidance of $45 million with a possible upside, while rivals gave forecasts in the $55 million range for the Thursday to Sunday period — indicating that a $50 million plus opening is well within reach. The studio has already adjusted its projection upward from the $38 million to $42 million range earlier in the week.

“Ready Player One” opened with $3.8 million at 3,500 North American locations in Wednesday night previews and will likely dominate the domestic box office this weekend. The sci-fi fantasy expands to 4,234 locations Thursday and is launching day and date internationally in 62 markets with $3.2 million in $3.2 million in foreign grosses since opening in Tuesday previews.

Paramount’s “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” generated $2.6 million five years ago in preview showings in Wednesday...

Idris Elba. Taraji P. Henson. Tessa Thompson. Alfre Woodard. Thandie Newton. Gabrielle Union. Sanaa Lathan. Cicely Tyson, Beyonce. Janet Jackson. Jill Scott. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Mary J. Blige. Tiffany Haddish.

More than a who’s who of black Hollywood, this is a list of black creatives who have worked with writer-director-star and media mogul Tyler Perry. Even global cinematic juggernaut “Black Panther” connects back to Tyler Perry Studios, with part of the film having been shot at his Atlanta studio sound stage.

See More:Tyler Perry Says Backlash Against His TLC Show’s White Cast Members is ‘Reverse Racism’

You would be hard-pressed to find a black creative who doesn’t similarly connect back to Perry in some way. Directly or indirectly, the multi-hyphenate media mogul has been an innovator of black cinema for the better part of the last 20 years.

Largely removed from the Hollywood machine, Perry founded a studio,...

Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One” has opened with $3.8 million at 3,500 North American locations in Wednesday night previews.

The sci-fi fantasy is projected to open with $45 million over its four-day opening weekend, which should dominate the domestic box office over the Easter holiday period. Warner Bros.’ “Ready Player One” expands to 4,200 locations Thursday and is launching day and date internationally in 62 markets.

Based on Ernest Cline’s 2011 novel, “Ready Player One” is set both in a dystopian version of Columbus, Ohio, in 2045 and in an elaborate virtual reality world called Oasis to escape the grim reality of the world. The film, written by Cline and Zak Penn, stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance. Sheridan’s character, Wade Watts, discovers clues to a game within the program that promises the winner full ownership of the Oasis.

Reviews have been mostly positive for “Ready...

Saturday Am Update: Ready Player One brought in an estimated $15.2 million on Friday, pushing the film's two-day total to $27.2 million. Current expectations are for a four-day total around $52-53 million and $40+ million for the three-day weekend. The film received an "A-" CinemaScore from opening day audiences. Lionsgate's release of Tyler Perry's Acrimony delivered big numbers on Friday, coming in with an estimated $7.26 million along with an "A-" CinemaScore. The film is currently expected to finish around $17 million for the three-day. Pure Flix's release of God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness is struggling out of the gates, delivering an estimated $1.1 million on Friday, looking at a $3 million weekend. The film also received an "A-" CinemaScore. You can check out all of the Friday estimates right here and we'll be back tomorrow morning with a complete look at the weekend. Friday Am Update: Ready Player One brought in...

We know that Taraji P. Henson loves working with Tyler Perry. How much? When the filming of Perry’s new movie, Acrimony, didn’t look like it would be compatible with Henson’s Empire shooting schedule, she went out of her way to make it work. (Click on the media bar below to hear Tyler Perry) Tyler Perry’s Acrimony opens [...]...

They say that the month of March either goes in like a lion and out like a lamb, or vice versa, and, at least from a box office standpoint, the month will seemingly go in like a lion and out like a lion too. The month kicked off with Marvel's Black Panther continuing its epic winning streak with an impressive $66.3 million in its third weekend, with the final weekend of March looking to be easily conquered by newcomer Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg. Armed with strong reviews and positive word of mouth, we're predicting a $43.6 million debut for Ready Player One, which will easily be enough to take the top spot from last weekend's holdovers and two newcomers as well, Lionsgate's Tyler Perry's Acrimony and PureFlix's God's Not Dead: A Light in the Darkness.

For one, Ready Player One is shaping up to debut with...

Marvel's Black Panther managed to pull off the impossible again, fending off three newcomers (Tomb Raider, I Can Only Imagine, and Love, Simon) to take the top spot at the box office for the fifth weekend in a row with $26.6 million. This weekend, Black Panther faces its greatest challenge yet, with five new movies opening in wide release, with Universal's Pacific Rim Uprising, Paramount's Sherlock Gnomes, Open Road Films' Midnight Sun, Bleecker Street's Unsane and Sony's Paul, Apostle of Christ. While Black Panther may still fare well and pull off a minimal decrease, we think Pacific Rim Uprising will take the top spot with $26.4 million.

While most movies post greater declines from weekend to weekend the farther they get into their Box Office run, Black Panther has actually been improving from weekend to weekend, posting smaller decreases. After its record-breaking first weekend of $202 million last month,...

Faith-based filmmaking isn’t dead. While the genre has struggled recently to turn out crossover hits (and nothing has topped the $611M take of Mel Gibson’s controversial smash hit “The Passion of the Christ,” still the top earner in the genre 14 years after its release), brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin’s latest film, “I Can Only Imagine,” surprised this weekend’s box office with a $17 million opening take, good enough to push it to third place in a crowded field. Among contemporary Christian community titles, only “Heaven Is for Real” had a better opening, scoring $22 million when it opened in 2014.

Other faith-based movies have recently faltered at the box office, making the success of “I Can Only Imagine” as a bit of an outlier in a struggling — and often independently made — genre. The last big Christian-leaning hit to crack $100 million at the domestic box office was 2010’s “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader...