NEW YORK (AP) - John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place” blasted past expectations to notch the second-best debut of the year, opening with $50.2 million in ticket sales, according to final studio figures Monday.
The Paramount Pictures thriller, the third film directed by the former “The Office” star, had been pegged to open closer to $30 million. The unexpected success of the $17 million movie gave Viacom Inc.’s Paramount a much-needed hit and the studio’s best non-sequel opening weekend in nearly five years.
The Universal Pictures R-rated comedy “Blockers,” with Leslie Mann and John Cena, also performed solidly, collecting $20.6 million in its debut.
Last week’s top film, Steven Spielberg’s “Ready Player One,” slid to second but held well. The Warner Bros. release grossed $24.6 million in its second weekend. But it’s fared even better overseas, where Spielberg’s latest has already grossed $294.4 million, including $161.3 million in China.
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by comScore:
1. “A Quiet Place,” Paramount, $50,203,562, 3,508 locations, $14,311 average, $50,203,562, 1 week.
2. “Ready Player One,” Warner Bros., $24,624,178, 4,234 locations, $5,816 average, $96,484,703, 2 weeks.
3. “Blockers,” Universal, $20,556,350, 3,379 locations, $6,084 average, $20,556,350, 1 week.
4. “Black Panther,” Disney, $8,704,968, 2,747 locations, $3,169 average, $665,630,708, 8 weeks.
5. “Tyler Perry’s Acrimony,” Lionsgate, $8,380,983, 2,006 locations, $4,178 average, $31,665,563, 2 weeks.
6. “I Can Only Imagine,” Roadside Attractions, $7,801,111, 2,894 locations, $2,696 average, $68,528,313, 4 weeks.
7. “Chappaquiddick,” Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, $5,765,854, 1,560 locations, $3,696 average, $5,765,854, 1 week.
8. “Sherlock Gnomes,” Paramount, $5,436,068, 2,733 locations, $1,989 average, $33,734,129, 3 weeks.
9. “Pacific Rim Uprising,” Universal, $4,827,245, 2,627 locations, $1,838 average, $54,837,305, 3 weeks.
10. “Isle Of Dogs,” Fox Searchlight, $4,562,854, 554 locations, $8,236 average, $12,011,788, 3 weeks.
11. “The Miracle Season,” Mirror/LD Entertainment, $3,950,652, 1,707 locations, $2,314 average, $3,950,652, 1 week.
12. “A Wrinkle In Time,” Disney, $3,301,707, 1,701 locations, $1,941 average, $90,274,463, 5 weeks.
13. “Love, Simon,” 20th Century Fox, $2,767,003, 1,464 locations, $1,890 average, $37,544,267, 4 weeks.
14. “Tomb Raider,” Warner Bros., $1,926,315, 1,673 locations, $1,151 average, $55,070,405, 4 weeks.
15. “Paul, Apostle Of Christ,” Sony, $1,772,226, 1,262 locations, $1,404 average, $15,003,077, 3 weeks.
16. “God’s Not Dead: A Light In Darkness,” Pure Flix, $1,094,495, 1,377 locations, $795 average, $4,912,576, 2 weeks.
17. “Game Night,” Warner Bros., $1,072,746, 804 locations, $1,334 average, $67,216,416, 7 weeks.
18. “The Death of Stalin,” IFC Films, $986,597, 547 locations, $1,804 average, $5,474,211, 5 weeks.
19. “Peter Rabbit,” Sony, $967,606, 1,027 locations, $942 average, $113,277,600, 9 weeks.
20. “The Leisure Seeker.” Sony Pictures Classics, $527,339, 353 locations, $1,494 average, $1,769,453, 5 weeks.
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