Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Monday 8 april 2019
'Shazam!' debuts with $53.5M, handing DC Comics another win

By JAKE COYLE Though one of the old-
Associated Press est characters in DC's su-
NEW YORK (AP) — Seven perhero stable, "Shazam!"
films in, the DC Extended doesn't boast the name-
Universe is finally flying with recognition of Batman or
some wind behind its back. Superman. But by scaling
The well-reviewed, rela- back to a $100 million bud-
tively modestly budgeted get and going for the light-
"Shazam!" debuted with er, comic tone, "Shazam!"
$53.5 million in ticket sales steadily built up its word of
over the weekend, ac- mouth with stellar reviews.
cording to studio estimates Warner Bros. also showed
Sunday, handing DC its lat- the film nationwide two
est critical and box-office weeks before opening,
success. where it made $3 million in

This image released by Warner Bros. shows Zachary Levi, left, and Jack Dylan Grazer in a scene
from "Shazam!"
Associated Press

advance screenings. Snyder's "Batman v Super- going to serve them well."
"Shazam!" came out well man" and David Ayer's "Sui- Dergarabedian noted the
ahead of the weekend's cide Squad." Warner Bros. two most dominant genres
other top draw, "Pet Sema- has since steered its comic in movies right now — su-
tary." Paramount Pictures' book adaptions in a differ- perheroes and horror —
remake of the original 1989 ent direction, leaning more swamped theaters, taking
Stephen King adaptation on stand-alone entries less up four of the top five spots
opened in a distant second predicated on the overall at the box office. The stiff
with $25 million. It's a solid "universe" and more fluctu- competition in similar-styled
start for "Pet Sematary," ating in tone. holdovers could have
though far from the haul Earlier in the week, Warner slightly depressed results
that the last big-screen ad- Bros. also teased the DC re- for both "Shazam!" and "Pet
aptation of King's conjured lease "Joker," with Joaquin Sematary." But right now,
up: "It" opened with $123.4 Phoenix, at CinemaCon. there is little room on the
million in 2017. An even smaller-budgeted calendar between major
Last week's top film, origin story with a similarly comic book films and hor-
"Dumbo," slid steeply in its unique, albeit much dark- ror releases.
second week. Landing in er, tone; it was one of the In fourth was Jordan Peele's
third, the Disney live-action most talked-about movies horror thriller "Us," which
remake dropped 60% with at the Las Vegas event. added $13.8 million in its
$18.2 million. "'Wonder Woman' was real- third week. Its cumula-
Pitched as "'Big' meets Su- ly the start of changing the tive global total stands at
perman,'" "Shazam!" stars ship," Goldstein said. "When $216.6 million.
Asher Angel as Billy Batson, you look at each of these Marvel's Brie Larson-led
a teenage foster kid who properties, they're all very "Captain Marvel," which re-
transforms into an adult su- different. Their approach is cently crossed $1 billion in
perhero (played by Zach- different. Their tone is dif- worldwide ticket sales, took
ary Levi). ferent. But here's the com- in $12.7 million domestically
Jeff Goldstein, distribution monality: All good movies, in its fifth weekend. Cap-
chief at Warner Bros., said all well done. I think that's tain Marvel, ironically, was
the studio originally fore- what you'll see out of DC is Shazam's original name
cast a $40 million opening. very specific approaches when the character was
"That was the right num- for that property." first crafted, as a Super-
ber for us," Goldstein said. Overseas, "Shazam!" man knockoff, in 1939. He
"That's what we needed to grossed $102 million in 79 was relaunched in 1973 as
make money on it." markets, including $30.9 Shazam after decades of
But expectations grew million in China. lawsuits and the debut of
based on reviews (91% "DC has really found its Marvel's own Captain Mar-
fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) groove," said Paul Derga- vel.
and audience reaction (an rabedian, senior media an- The weekend's other wide-
"A'' Cinemascore). The PG- alyst for Comscore. "They're release newcomer was
13-rated film attracted an really breaking out each STX Entertainment's "Best
especially young crowd; character. Shazam and the of Enemies," starring Taraji
45% were under 25. Joker could not two more P. Henson as a civil rights
The result further validated different characters within activist and Sam Rockwell
DC's pivot following the the DC Universe. But I think as a Ku Klux Klan leader. It
disappointments of Zack that diversity of content is opened with $4.5 million.q