“Elvis,” a Warner Bros. film about the iconic singer that rose to fame in the 1950s, debuted at the top of the North American box office, fending off competition from bigger-budget blockbusters released in previous weeks.
The movie made $30.5 million in its opening weekend across 3,906 domestic theaters, according to an estimate Comscore Inc. released Sunday. The movie was forecast to make $31 million to $46 million by Boxoffice Pro.
“Lightyear,” a Pixar and Walt Disney Co. movie that fell far short of estimates when it premiered last weekend, slid to fifth place, generating $17.7 million in ticket sales. It was behind both “Jurassic World Dominion” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” which have held the attention of audiences for at least three weeks.
Key Insights
— “Elvis” is director Baz Luhrmann’s sixth film and focuses on both the rock star and life in the U.S. in the middle of the 20th century. Austin Butler stars as Elvis Presley, while Tom Hanks portrays the singer’s manager, Tom Parker. Luhrmann is known for his unusual visual and musical style, which includes vibrant images and remixed songs.
— The movie has an 80% critical approval rating on Rottentomatoes.com. It had the third-best opening for a musical biopic, behind the 2015 Universal Pictures movie “Straight Outta Compton” and Disney’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” released in 2018, according to data from Comscore.
— “The Black Phone,” a thriller from Blumhouse and Universal Pictures opened in fourth place. The movie, about a child being held in a basement by a masked murderer, generated $23.4 million, Comscore projected. That’s more than the $17 million to $22 million Boxoffice Pro forecast.
— Disney’s “Lightyear” has struggled with weaker-than-normal reviews for a Pixar movie, and a family audience that grew accustomed to watching big, new Disney movies on the company’s streaming service during the pandemic.
