Weekend Box Office: Audiences are saying "Shazam!"
More than a few people walked up to the local multiplex and uttered the magic word “Shazam!” this past weekend, as the family-friendly DC superhero flick racked up $53.4 million, more than double its closest competitor and a good reminder that it’s nice when these movies are actually fun. That opening puts it on par with Marvel’s more light-hearted entries like Ant-Man, meaning Zachary Levi’s good-natured throwback of a musclebound hero should end up doing quite nicely at the box office, if nowhere near the vicinity of Marvel’s recent blockbuster entries.
Those looking for something a little darker (though not, like, Zack Snyder’s DCEU dark) found it in the harrowing child death of second-place finisher Pet Sematary. The new iteration of the Stephen King classic clambered its way out of the ancient burial ground and into theaters to the tune of $25 million, which may not sound like much compared to the gonzo returns of It but is actually the second-biggest opening ever for a Stephen King adaptation. Plus, it only cost $21 million to make, so this little undead monster is already technically in the black. Of course, audiences didn’t seem all that scared, awarding it a dismal “C+” Cinemascore, a rare instance of the collective American moviegoers’ rating lining up perfectly with The A.V. Club’s assessment.
