By Lindsey Bahr
Jordan Peele 's UFO thriller "Nope" topped the North American charts in its first weekend in theaters with an estimated $44 million in ticket sales, Universal Pictures said Sunday. Though it doesn't come close to the $71 million debut of "Us," it is still significantly impressive for an original, R-rated film — and the biggest of the pandemic for an original screenplay.
"Nope," which opened on 3,785 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, is the most expensive film Peele has made to date with a reported $68 million production budget, not accounting for marketing and promotion costs. "Us" cost around $20 million to produce, while "Get Out" was made for only $4.5 million. Both films ultimately made over $255 million worldwide.
Critics were largely positive about " Nope," which stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun and pays homage to UFO films like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Signs," and is currently resting at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes.
"It's a great number," said Jim Orr, Universal's president of domestic distribution. "It's amazing how broadly it's playing too."
"Jordan Peele crafted an incredible film," Orr added. "And it is absolutely something that should be seen on the big screen."
The film got off to a strong start with $6.4 million from Thursday previews. By the end of Friday, it had grossed $19.3 million. About 68% of the opening weekend audience was between the ages of 18 and 34, which is the "sweet spot" for a horror film. Audiences were also quite diverse according to exit polls, reporting 35% Caucasian, 33% Black, 20% Hispanic and 8% Asian.
And many chose to experience "Nope" in IMAX, which accounted for about $5.2 million of its first weekend earnings.
"It's incredibly gratifying to see a visionary like Jordan Peele, who represents a new generation of filmmakers, use our technology in pioneering ways and create an experience meant to be seen in IMAX," said IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond.
Word of mouth is going to be critical in the coming weeks for "Nope," which begins its international rollout on Aug. 12.
"An opening weekend for a Jordan Peele film is not the right metric. We have to see where it is a month from now," said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. "'Nope' could have solid, long-term playability as the word gets out. One need only look at 'Elvis' to see that a film doesn't have to open huge to be a big success."
"Nope" knocked "Thor: Love and Thunder" to second place in its third weekend. The Disney and Marvel blockbuster starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman added $22.1 million, bringing its global total to $598.2 million.
Universal's "Minions: The Rise of Gru" landed in third place with $17.7 million in its fourth weekend. The animated pic has made $640.3 million globally.
The Sony-released adaptation of the bestseller "Where the Crawdads Sing," meanwhile, is enjoying a modest second weekend drop. The film starring Daisy Edgar-Jones added an estimated $10.3 million from 3,650 locations. It's now grossed $38.3 million domestically.
Paramount's "Top Gun: Maverick" rounded out the top five in its ninth weekend with an additional $10 million. Earlier this week it surpassed "The Avengers" to become ninth biggest domestic release of all time with its total now sitting at $635.6 million.
In limited release, "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" continued its expansion and made $846,950 from 590 theaters.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Nope," $44 million.
2. "Thor: Love and Thunder," 22.1 million.
3. "Minions: The Rise of Gru," $17.7 million.
4. "Where the Crawdads Sing," $10.3 million.
5. "Top Gun: Maverick," $10 million.
6. "Elvis," $6.3 million.
7. "Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank," $3.9 million.
8. "The Black Phone," $3.5 million.
9. "Jurassic World Dominion," $3 million.
10. "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris," $1.4 million.
Lindsey Bahr is an AP film writer
In NBC’s “Brilliant Minds,” Zachary Quinto Plays Doctor–In A Role Inspired By Physician/Author Oliver Sacks
There's a great moment in the first episode of the new NBC medical drama "Brilliant Minds" when it becomes very clear that we're not dealing with a typical TV doctor.
Zachary Quinto is behind the wheel of a car barreling down a New York City parkway, packed with hospital interns, abruptly weaving in and out of lanes, when one of them asks, "Does anyone want to share a Klonopin?" — a drug sometimes used to treat panic disorders.
"Oh, glory to God, yes, please," says Quinto, reaching an arm into the back seat. The intern then breaks the pill in half and gives a sliver to the driver, who swallows it, as the other interns share stunned looks.
Quinto, playing the character Dr. Oliver Wolf, is clearly not portraying any dour, by-the-rules doctor here — he's playing a character inspired by Dr. Oliver Sacks, the path-breaking researcher and author who rose to fame in the 1970s and was once called the "poet laureate of medicine."
"He was someone who was tirelessly committed to the dignity of the human experience. And so I feel really grateful to be able to tell his story and to continue his legacy in a way that I hope our show is able to do," says Quinto.
He's a fern-loving doctor
"Brilliant Minds" takes Sack's personality — a motorcycle-riding, fern-loving advocate for mental health who died in 2015 at 82 — and puts him in the present day, where the creators theorize he would have no idea who Taylor Swift is or own a cell phone. The series debuts Monday on NBC, right after "The Voice."
"It's almost as if we're imagining what it would have been like if Oliver Sacks had been born at a different time," says Quinto. "We use the real life person as our North Star through everything we're doing and all the... Read More