Ready Player One racing to first with estimated $52 million four-day opening

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Spielberg is back on top, baby!

Thanks to strong promotion, no new, major competition, sweeping vibes of nostalgia, and raves from critics and audiences, Steven Spielberg’s READY PLAYER ONE is expected to easily come out on top this weekend with a $40 million weekend. This adds to the $12 million it made by opening at all theaters on Thursday, giving RPO a total of $52 million for the four-day frame.

Though we will have to see how the movie performs in the coming weeks, this is a fantastic start to the movie’s run, marking Spielberg’s biggest opening in 10 years (for a directorial effort) since INDIANA JONES 4 opened to $100 million in 2008. This is also the first time a Spielberg movie has opened at number one since INDY 4, with other blockbuster hopefuls like THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN and THE BFG opening at number five and number four respectively.

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The movie has a long way to go to make back that $175 million budget, but so far, the movie is doing well in overseas markets, too, with the movie on track for a $50 million weekend in China as well. Mix this great opening with solid word of mouth (including an A- Cinemascore), and lack of similar competition until RAMPAGE on April 13, RPO could have steady legs as it makes its way to cracking $100 million domestically.

As for the other movies on the list, TYLER PERRY’S ACRIMONY with Taraji P. Henson is also aiming for a healthy $16 million estimated weekend, while BLACK PANTHER looks to hold strong for third at $11 million. This will bring its total to $650 million domestically, meaning it will leap over JURASSIC WORLD ($652 million) to become the fourth largest movie ever sometime next week, possibly topping TITANIC ($659 million) by the end of next weekend.

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As for the final two in the top five, the Christian drama I CAN ONLY IMAGINE is making the most out the Easter weekend with an estimated frame of $10 million. As for last weekend’s winner, PACIFIC RIM UPRISING, the movie plunged to number five after dropping nearly 70 percent for an estimated $9 million second weekend. Mediocre reactions from both critics and audiences, no doubt mixed with serious front-loading, are already starting to show its wear on the big-budget robo-fest. 

An obvious congratulations need to go to Spielberg and the crew for making an insanely fun popcorn flick that is putting butts in the seats. Though a lot of Negative Nancys were scoffing at trailers and disregarding the movie as a cheap grab at nostalgia, those same folks are likely walking out of the movie with a big grin on their faces, because how can you not? This is a great feast of impressive visual effects and heart-racing action that demands to be seen in a theater, and I’m excited to know people are taking the dive. 

READY PLAYER ONE is in theaters now.