The sexy tennis drama “Challengers” won the box office 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 promote the original film by Italian director Luca Guadagnino, which premiered in 3,477 locations in the United States and Canada.
“We’re obviously very, very happy with the number,” said Kevin Wilson, who heads theatrical distribution for Amazon Studios and MGM. “Seeing the crowd that showed up is really encouraging. It is not the easiest audience to reach the cinemas.”
Women made up 58 percent of ticket buyers, who were also younger overall: 41 percent were between 18 and 24 years old.
Ticket sales at large-format screens, including IMAX, accounted for about 40 percent of the first weekend’s gross. According to PostTrak’s exit poll reported by Deadline, 55 percent of audiences said they went to see the movie because of Zendaya. In fact, this weekend, Zendaya’s films accounted for about 26 percent of the overall box office with the re-release of “Dune: Part Two” in IMAX grossing nearly $2 million.
The 27-year-old actor has been part of some of the most successful franchises in recent years, including the “Spider-Man” films and “Dune.” In both cases, they were supporting roles in big brand properties, but his eye-catching red carpet looks also often make headlines. “Challengers” would be the first real test of his ability to “open” a movie about his own star, and MGM and Amazon weren’t going to risk doing it without her.
The studio had 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 cancel the festival premiere and move the film to this weekend, when they could safely assume the strike would be resolved. Zendaya wore many tennis-themed looks, designed by Law Roach, for her appearances.
“It would be hard to argue that we should have released this movie 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 depicts a passionate and competitive love triangle between tennis players. It currently has an 88 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and earned a B+ CinemaScore from opening day audiences.
Guadagnino’s last film, “Bones and All,” starring Zendaya’s “Dune” co-star Timothée Chalamet, grossed $15.2 million over its entire career. By midweek, “Challengers” was expected to surpass “Call Me By Your Name” ($18 million) to become Guadagnino’s highest-grossing film.
For Amazon MGM Studios, the value also extends beyond the box office, creating “aftermarket value” for Amazon even when “Challengers” eventually hits Prime Video.
“I’ve always believed that film is the best way to release some of these movies,” Wilson said. “When this comes to Prime Video, it will obviously perform at a level that would be much higher than if it had come directly to the platform. The theatrical is only one part.”
Second place went to the religious film “Unsung Hero,” which grossed approximately $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 their sons Joel and David (for KING + COUNTRY) on the country music scene. Joel Smallbone directed, co-wrote and played his father David.
The Lionsgate film, which was made for just $6 million, earned an exceptional A+ CinemaScore and has a 100 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The critic score is a much more moderate 58 percent. The audience was overwhelmingly female (69 percent) and over 25 years old (91 percent).
Third place went to “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” with $7.2 million in its fifth weekend. In fourth place, A24’s “Civil War” also added $7 million in its third weekend, bringing its domestic total to $56.2 million. And completing the top five was the horror film “Abigail,” with $5.3 million.
“April 2024 provided the 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 audience 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 from Friday to Sunday at theaters in the United States and Canada, according to Comscore. Final national figures will be published on Monday.
1. “Challengers”, $15 million.
2. “Unsung Hero,” $7.8 million.
3. “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”, $7.2 million.
4. “Civil War”, 7 million dollars.
5. “Abigail,” $5.3 million.
6. “The Ministry of War among Gentlemen”, $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.