Brad Pitt proved its relevance at the box office over the weekend when his new action-thriller Bullet Train arrived with a $30.1 million opening, according to deadline.
The 58-year-old Oscar winner’s bloody film sped past the competition despite receiving mixed reviews from critics.
Although Bullet Train’s solid opening was enough to make it the highest grossing film of the weekend, it was far less than earlier blockbusters this year such as the rapturously reviewed Top Gun: Maverick or Thor: Love And Thunder.
Zooming by: Brad Pitt proved its relevance at the box office over the weekend when his new action-thriller Bullet Train arrived with a $30.1 million opening, according to Deadline
The film also cost around $90 million to make, so Bullet Train has plenty of distance to cover to make back its budget, as well as marketing costs.
‘A big film like this with lot of expectations should have had a stronger debut,’ Exhibitor Relations senior media analyst Jeff Bock told the publication. ‘That said, there’s not a lot of competition in August, so Bullet Train should have a good window to make its mark in the coming weeks.’
Pitt stars in Bullet train as an assassin given the codename Ladybug who is instructed to pick up a briefcase aboard a high-speed train, only to find the train populated with rival assassins who are looking for the same case.
The movie received a B+ CinemaScore from audiences, indicating solid but not overly positive feelings.
Mixed: Although Bullet Train’s solid opening was enough to make it the highest grossing film of the weekend, it was far less than earlier blockbusters this year such as the rapturously reviewed Top Gun: Maverick or Thor: Love And Thunder
High flying: Coming in second was the animated superhero film DC League Of Super-Pets, which earned an additional $11.2 million in its second week
Still kicking: Jordan Peele’s horror film Nope stayed strong in third place with an additional $8.05 million in its third week, for $97.5 million domestic
Pitt’s film may have been hurt by mixed reviews, which may have kept some potential viewers from venturing out to cinemas.
Coming in second was the animated superhero film DC League Of Super-Pets, which earned an additional $11.2 million in its second week.
Jordan Peele’s horror film Nope stayed strong in third place with an additional $8.05 million in its third week, for $97.5 million domestic.
The movie, about a mysterious force that begins terrorizing ranchers and tourists in a desert town outside of Los Angeles, has positive reviews and solid praises from audiences, though some have complained that it doesn’t have as much obvious satire as his earlier horror hits Get Out and Us.
PostTrak numbers indicated that 56% of Nope viewers were drawn to the film because of Peele’s position as writer and director, compared to just eight percent of viewers who were attracted to Bullet Train because of director David Leitch.
Blockbuster: Thor: Love And Thunder came in at fourth place with an additional $7.6 million in its fourth week, for a total of $316 million domestic
Animated hit: Minions: The Rise Of Gru was set to overtake the previous Minions film, as well as Despicable Me 2. It took in $7.11 million this week, for $334.57 million in its sixth week
Crowd pleaser: Tom Cruise’s box office miracle soared to an astounding $662.5 million domestic total in its eleventh week, with $7 million coming this week
Thor: Love And Thunder came in at fourth place with an additional $7.6 million in its fourth week, for a total of $316 million domestic.
Minions: The Rise Of Gru was set to overtake the previous Minions film, as well as Despicable Me 2. It took in $7.11 million this week, for $334.57 million in its sixth week.
Tom Cruise’s box office miracle soared to an astounding $662.5 million domestic total in its eleventh week, with $7 million coming this week.
The movie, now Cruise’s highest ever, recently passed Titanic to become the seventh biggest film ever at the domestic box office.
Mystery: In seventh place was the murder-mystery Where The Crawdads sing, which added $5.65 million in week four
Rocking out: Elvis continued to have legs in the ninth place with an additional $4 million, for a $136.5 million total over seven weeks
In seventh place was the murder-mystery Where The Crawdads sing, which added $5.65 million in week four.
The Jo Koy comedy Easter Sunday made a disappointing debut in eighth with $5.25 million.
Elvis continued to have legs in the ninth place with an additional $4 million, for a total of $136.5 million over seven weeks.
The Ethan Hawke starring horror film The Black Phone rounded out the top 10 with $1.46 million.
Special mention goes to the A24 produced and distributed slasher comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, which stars Pete Davidson, Amandla Stenberg, Borat 2’s Maria Bakalova, Shiva Baby’s Rachel Sennott, Chase Sui Wonders, Myha’la Herrold and Lee Pace.
The movie, which was only released in New York and Los Angeles, scored the second-best limited screen average of the year, with a total of $226,500, which translates to about $37,750 per theater.
Spooky: Special mention goes to the A24 produced and distributed slasher comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, which had the second-best per theater average of the year for a limited release
