'In the Heights' Has Quiet Box-Office Debut
by EG
Despite rave reviews from critics and glowing responses from audiences, the musical In the Heights didn't sell a ton of tickets in theaters over its opening weekend, placing second behind horror movie sequel A Quiet Place Part II. Part of the problem may have been that In the Heights debuted online for HBO Max subscribers at the same time it opened in theaters. Read on for details.
Warner Bros.’ In the Heights sang off key in its box office opening with $11.4 million, well below expectations and putting the musical at No. 2 behind holdover A Quiet Place Part II in a surprise upset.
Heading into the weekend, Jon M. Chu’s big screen adaptation of the musical that put Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda on the map, was widely expected to top the chart with anywhere from $15 million to $20 million.
Instead, Paramount’s A Quiet Place Part II sequel shot back up to No. 1 in its third weekend with an estimated $11.7 million for a domestic total of nearly $109 million. The horror-thriller is the first film in the pandemic era to cross the $100 million mark domestically in a victory for exclusive theatrical releases. Overseas, the sequel has hit $78.5 million for a global cume of nearly $188 million.
Like all 2021 Warner Bros. titles, In the Heights is debuting simultaneously on HBO Max because of the challenges posed by the pandemic. It is impossible to know exactly how much business that is taking away in terms of box office grosses, but the feel-good pic may be more impacted than other genres since musicals often play to older adults, and especially older females. Consumers over 35 are the most reluctant to return to the multiplex, according to NRG surveys. At the same, musicals have a decidedly mixed track record at the office.
The hope now is that glowing reviews and strong exits lead to increased grosses. “We’re incredibly proud of this movie, and hope audiences find it over time,” says Warners president of domestic distribution Jeff Goldstein.
Per normal practice, HBO Max isn’t releasing viewership numbers for In the Heights.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
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