The sexy tennis drama “Challengers” took the box office by storm this weekend with $15 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Zendaya and her co-stars Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have been on a worldwide press tour to support Italian director Luca Guadagnino’s original film, which opened in 3,477 locations across the US and Canada.
“We’re obviously very, very happy with the number,” said Kevin Wilson, who heads theatrical distribution for Amazon Studios and MGM. “Looking at the public who attended is very encouraging. It’s not the easiest audience to get to theaters.”
Women made up 58% of ticket buyers, who were also younger overall: 41% were between 18 and 24 years old.
Ticket sales at large format screens, including IMAX, accounted for about 40% of opening weekend grosses. According to the PostTrak exit survey reported by Deadline, 55% of audiences said they went to see the film because of Zendaya. In fact, this weekend, Zendaya’s films accounted for about 26% of the overall box office with the IMAX re-release of “Dune: Part Two” grossing nearly $2 million.
The 27-year-old actor has been part of some of the most successful franchises of recent years, including the “Spider-Man” and “Dune” films. In both cases, these were supporting roles in big brand properties, but their eye-catching red carpet looks also often make headlines. “Challengers” would be the first real test of her ability to “open” a film about her own star, and MGM and Amazon wouldn’t risk doing it without her.
The studio originally planned to release “Challengers” in fall 2023, with a picturesque launch at the Venice Film Festival. But when the actors went on strike last July, the studio made the decision to postpone the festival premiere and move the film to this weekend, when they could safely assume the strike would be resolved. Zendaya sported plenty of tennis-themed looks, styled by Law Roach, at her performances.
“It would be hard to argue that we should have released this film when she couldn’t support it,” Wilson said.
He gave special credit to the studio’s publicity and marketing teams for orchestrating a world tour that resulted in several viral fashion moments.
Reviews have been largely positive for the R-rated film, which teases a hot and competitive love triangle between the tennis players. It currently has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and received a B+ CinemaScore from opening day audiences.
Guadagnino’s latest film, “Bones and All,” starring Zendaya’s “Dune” co-star Timothée Chalamet, grossed $15.2 million in its entire run. By midweek, “Challengers” is expected to surpass “Call Me By Your Name” ($18 million) and become Guadagnino’s highest-grossing film.
For Amazon MGM Studios, the value also goes beyond the box office, generating “downstream value” for Amazon, including when “Challengers” eventually arrives on Prime Video.
“I’ve always believed that cinema is the best way to release some of these films,” Wilson said. “When this thing comes to Prime Video, it will obviously perform at a level that would be much higher than if it had gone directly to the platform. Theatrics is just one part of it.”
Second place went to the religious film “Unsung Hero,” which grossed about $7.8 million from 2,832 locations. It is based on the true story of the Smallbone family and the rise of their children Rebecca St. James and sons Joel and David (for KING + COUNTRY) on the country music scene. Joel Smallbone directed, co-wrote and plays his father David.
The Lionsgate film, which was made for just $6 million, got a rare A+ CinemaScore and has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The critic’s score is much more moderate, at 58%. The audience was predominantly female (69%) and over 25 years old (91%).
Third place went to “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”, with US$7.2 million in its fifth weekend. In fourth place, A24’s “Civil War” also grossed $7 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $56.2 million. And rounding out the top five was the horror film “Abigail,” with $5.3 million.
“April 2024 provided an opportunity for interesting, innovative and critically acclaimed films to top the box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “It was a great month for moviegoers looking for something beyond the typical summer blockbusters.”
The box office may not compare to last year, when “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” still dominated, but Dergarabedian said establishing public goodwill is also important.
Next weekend, the summer movie season kicks off with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s action comedy “The Fall Guy.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final national numbers will be released on Monday.
1. “Challengers”, US$15 million.
2. “Unsung Hero,” $7.8 million.
3. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”, US$7.2 million.
4. “Civil War”, 7 million.
5. “Abigail,” $5.3 million.
6. “The Ungentlemanly Ministry of War,” $3.9 million
7. “Kung Fu Panda 4,” $3.6 million.
8. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” $3.3 million.
9. “Dune: Part Two,” $2 million.
10. “Boy Kills World,” $1.7 million.
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