New York (AP) — It’s said that brands, not filmmakers or stars, dominate the box office these days. But Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” starring the twin Michael B. Jordans, proved to be a bloody exception to the rules of modern cinema, opening with $45.6 million in ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
“Sinners,” a Warner Bros. release with a production cost of about $90 million, was a bold gamble on originality, though with genre elements, and one of the most bankable American directors today in Coogler. The director of Creed and Black Panther wrote and produced “Sinners,” a vampire film set in 1932 about two smuggling brothers (both played by Jordan) who open a speakeasy in their Mississippi hometown.
“A Minecraft Movie,” the year’s biggest Hollywood hit, followed closely in second place, bringing in $41.3 million in its third weekend of release. That gave Warner Bros., after a string of disappointments, an enviable two-hit run at the box office.
“A Minecraft Movie,” which Warner Bros. co-produced with Legendary Pictures, has accumulated $720.8 million worldwide in three weeks of release.
Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-presidents of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, celebrated the resonance of the two films with audiences. The studio accounted for a notable 64% of the domestic box office over the Easter weekend.
“Movies have the power to transport us to worlds seen only on the big screen, and Warner Bros. Pictures remains committed to delivering singular cinema experiences to audiences seeking bold, original films as well as those based on beloved existing properties,” Abdy and De Luca said in a Sunday statement.
Below are the Friday-to-Sunday box office numbers for theaters in the United States and Canada, according to Comscore:
1. “Sinners,” $45.6 million
2. “A Minecraft Movie,” $41.3 million
3. “The King of Kings,” $17.3 million
4. “The Amateur,” $7.2 million
5. “Warfare,” $4.9 million
6. “Drop,” $3.4 million
7. “Colorful Stage: The Movie,” $2.8 million
8. “Pride & Prejudice” (2005), $2.7 million
9. “The Chosen: Last Supper,” $1.8 million
10. “Snow White,” $1.2 million
