After a weekend of fluctuating projections, Dwayne Johnson (just barely) owned the North American box office after all.
Though earlier estimates looked like the second frame of A Quiet Place would take the weekend, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros.’ Rampage snuck up to take the top slot with $34.5 million (Dh126.7 million) from 4,101 theatres.
Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros.’ attributed the weekend’s numbers to Johnson’s star power.
“Dwayne Johnson is a closer,” Goldstein said. “He’s got an incredible connection with his fan base. He’s a global draw unlike anybody else today.”
Though the sci-fi actioner has an impressive A- CinemaScore and 80 per cent audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes, Rampage, which opened under initial predictions, will need to rely heavily on overseas to carry its costly $120 million budget. The video game adaptation earned $114.1 million internationally, with a worldwide total of $148.6 million.
Still, its opening was enough to just narrowly take the box office crown from A Quiet Place, which earned $32.9 million in 3,589 locations. A Quiet Place has been riding high with rave reviews, only dropping 34 per cent. That brings its cumulative domestic gross to an impressive $100 million.
“The speed with which A Quiet Place has raced to the $100 million mark is a testament to the film’s ongoing appeal and a result of terrific word of mouth,” said Paul Dergarabedian, a film analyst at comScore.
Also benefiting from the Friday the 13th weekend was Universal and Blumhouse’s collaboration Truth or Dare. The supernatural thriller debuted in third place with $19 million from 3,029 theatres.
The pic, starring Lucy Hale and Tyler Posey, made $2.6 million internationally, combining for a global total of $21.7 million off its budget under $5 million.
