Steven Spielberg's remake of "West Side Story" arrived to an estimated $10.5 million in North American ticket sales, a feeble result that added to alarm in Hollywood about the theatrical viability of films that are not visual effects-driven fantasy spectacles or new.
There was a camp that warned against making quick assessments. Musicals tend to get off to a slow start when they are released in December. Positive word of mouth and attention can turn them into small engines. The Golden Globe nominations will be announced on Monday.
The movie "The Greatest Showman" was written off as a box office embarrassment after it collected almost $9 million in its first three days in theaters. The soundtrack caught fire among young women. The movie, which cost $84 million to make, had $437 million in worldwide ticket sales.
Disney noted in a results email on Sunday that ticket buyers gave the film an A grade in exit polls. The company said that indicators of audience sentiment bode well for the long run.
The movie "West Side Story" took in $4.4 million in 37 international markets, including countries where the Omicron variant has prompted governments to tighten safeguards. The film's global total so far, $14.9 million, missed Disney's prerelease hope of $25 million by roughly 40 percent.
The remake of "West Side Story" cost an estimated $100 million, not including marketing costs. The screenplay was adapted by Tony Kushner.
The image is.
Even though it was available online, "In the Heights" had better opening weekend ticket sales.
In the United States and Canada, people over the age of 55 were the most enthusiastic about the show. The majority of the national audience came before 8 p.m., according to a film research firm.
David A. Gross said in an email that the film is about an interracial romance. It was rare and remarkable once upon a time. Not any more. The film is well-made and may have caught up with the context. The filmmakers and many critics think that "West Side Story" tackles social issues that are as timely as ever. A.O. Scott reviewed the film for The New York Times and he said that Spielberg's take on the material "reaffirms its indelible appeal while making it feel bold, surprising and new."
Spielberg is one of the last holdouts. Spielberg has pushed for his directorial projects to remain theatrical exclusives despite his company signing a multiyear deal to make feature films for the streaming service. At the New York City premiere of his film, he thanked Disney executives for giving his film an old-fashioned theatrical release despite the fact that it was not going to be released on a streaming service. Disney removed Ben Affleck's movie from its January theatrical release schedule on Thursday, and the movie is expected to be streamed on Amazon Prime or Hulu instead.
It was distressing to see the movie "West Side Story" arrive at lower ticket sales than the movie "In the Heights". Even though it was available to stream at no extra cost, the Warner Bros. musical took in over $11 million in its first three days in theaters. Box office analysts described opening weekend ticket sales for "In the Heights" as "fizzled" and "dismal."
Live-action musicals have been challenged at the box office. They can still be winners if they have good casts. Hugh Jackman was in the movie "The Greatest Showman." The movie "Les Misérables" had Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Bonham Carter in it. The movie "Into the Woods" sold over 30 million tickets in its opening weekend. One exception is Universal's all-star "Cats".
In the Heights did not have household names. In September, there was a face-plant of "Dear Evan Hansen." Spielberg is a proven box office star.
