Ghostbusters: Afterlife starts with a strong $16.5 million from 4,315 theaters at the box office Friday, taking Sony’s event photo into the open for better-than-expected numbers of $40 million or more in North America .
The film – which debuted ahead of the lucrative Thanksgiving lobby – is succeeding in attracting families, winning for box office revitalization and franchise revival.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife Directed by Jason Reitman and the sequel to the iconic 1984 film Ghostbusters, directed by his father, Ivan Reitman.
The story follows what happens when a single mother and her two children arrive in a small town and begin to discover their connection to the original ghost movies and the secret legacy that left by their grandfather. The film earned an A- CinemaScore, ahead of a B+ that Paul Feig’s female lead Ghostbusters received in 2016.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Annie Potts and Paul Rudd, in addition to a number of celebrity guests.
The weekend’s other new offerings include the popular biopic King Richard, starring Will Smith as Richard Williams, the father of tennis icons Serena and Venus Williams.
King Richard grossed $1.9 million on Friday from 3,302 locations for a low domestic debut in the $5.5 million to $6 million range (Warner Bros. had hoped for $7 to $10 million). Adult drama is a challenging genre at today’s box office; King Richard also available via HBO Max.
Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a screenplay by Zach Baylin, King Richard also stars Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn and Jon Bernthal.
The film was expected to be a strong contender for the awards and was well received by the audience, who gave it an A CinemaScore. It is showing to an ethnically diverse audience, with Black audiences making up more than 40% of ticket buyers on Friday.
