On the night of Aug.
9, Warner Bros.
executives made an unexpectedly pleasant discovery: “The Meg,” their prehistoric shark movie that cost $150 million and took over two decades to get to the big screen, wasn’t going to bomb.Initial domestic numbers for “The Meg” showed that $4 million worth of tickets had been sold on Thursday night, portending an opening weekend far above the estimated $20 million to $22 million for the Friday to Sunday period.
The final number — $45.4 million — was double that forecast.
Four weeks later, “The Meg” has already crossed $462 million worldwide and will likely end up in the black.The strong Thursday showing for “The Meg” is proof of the impact early preview showings have become over the past six years.
Ever-earlier showings ahead of the once-traditional Friday release get the buzz out faster and give box office watchers a snapshot of what to expect over the opening weekend.“What
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