All hail Denzel Washington.
“The Equalizer 3” (Sony) opening to $34.5 million is the biggest debut since “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer” — and with a reported budget of $70 million, the opening came at a reasonable price.Washington is a deeply respected actor, but this success wasn’t a sure thing for reasons beyond strike-hampered promotion.
Since the second “Equalizer” in 2018, Washington made only one wide-release film.
Warner Bros.
released John Lee Hancock’s “The Little Things” in Covid-era January 2021 and it grossed just $31 million domestic.The other winner this week is Taylor Swift for the disruptive interjection of her “The Eras Tour” concert film, released by AMC Distribution.
It opens October 13, but her announcement August 30 led to first-day ticket sales of $26 million with a ticket price of $19.89.
It’s positioned to provide the best box office for theaters until “The Marvels” (Disney) opens in November.The studios, which received no advance notice of the opening,…
Read full article