Alongside Tony Gilroy’s Andor returning to Disney+, the mouse-eared studio is feeling the Force by unleashing a 20th-anniversary re-release of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith in theaters. According to today’s box office numbers, plenty of fans still want to experience Star Wars on the silver screen, as the third film in the prequel trilogy earned $3.4M in previews. The kicker? That’s only the start of the film’s dominance in theaters this weekend. According to Deadline, Revenge of the Sith has $20M+ in pre-sales, making it a fierce contender for the top spot at the box office among new films.
If Revenge of the Sith performs as planned, it could push Ben Affleck’s anticipated sequel, The Accountant 2, to the second slot. The Accountant 2 banked $2.5M from previews, including the film’s April 15 “Tax Day” screenings. Analysts expect The Accountant 2 to earn $20M at the weekend box office, possibly keeping pace with Revenge of the Sith. It’s worth noting that the opening for Affleck’s new film fared better than its 2016 predecessor, which earned $1.35M in previews before closing out a 3-day total of $24.7M. The Accountant 2 boasts a 76% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 92% Popcorn Score.
Elsewhere, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners took a bite out of $6M on Thursday, ending its first week with $77.5M. The re-release of Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII opened in 2,550 theaters across 64 countries for a North American opening of $1.29M. Finally, Screen Gems’ adaptation of Super Massive Games’ Until Dawn scared up $1M in previews. The studio expects the time-loop adaptation to pull $8M-$9M over the weekend against a budget of $15M.
Our editor-in-chief, Chris Bumbray, loved The Accountant 2. In his review, Chris said, “As a meat-and-potatoes action fan, I’ve been starving for a film like this. I love the sleek 87North-style action flicks that are in favour now, but The Accountant 2 is old-school in a way I’ve been missing. The extra emphasis on characterization only sweetens the pot. Bring on The Accountant 3!”
Are you going to the movies this weekend? What will you see? Let us know in the comments section below.
