Paramount Pictures thriller “A Quiet Place” is making noise at the box office, bringing in more than $50.3 million in 3,508 theaters over the weekend and placing it at the No. 2 spot behind “Black Panther.”
“This much bigger than expected debut comes in an era of ongoing popularity for the horror genre that in North America alone last year generated over $1 billion in box office,” media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said, according to Variety.
Hollywood estimated the film, which cost a mere $17 million to produce, would bring in somewhere around $30 million. By smashing that estimate, “A Quiet Place” helped propel the weekend box office up by 35.3 percent from last year.
Kyle Davies, Paramount’s president of domestic distribution, attributed the film’s success to positive word of mouth following SXSW, where the film premiered March 9. He also praised John Krasinski who co-wrote, directed, and starred in the film.
"We always knew we had something special from the first screenings. But you don't get to a number like this without breaking free of the genre. I think this is about great storytelling," Davies said, The Associated Press reported. "We're looking forward to what else (Krasinski) has up his sleeve."
That received some support from one of the film’s producers.
"I think SXSW was the most valuable thing for the movie," said producer Andrew Form of Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes, which produced the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "The buzz that we were able to generate from the screening before 1,200 people and critics really launched the film."
"A Quiet Place" envisions a future Earth inhabited by sightless predators, who hunt by their hypersensitive hearing. It revolves around a family that is forced to communicate via sign language while quietly scavenging for food and supplies.
Two other offerings that debuted over the weekend, “Chappaquiddick” and “The Miracle Season,” brought in a bit more than estimated. “Chappaquiddick” opened with $5.9 million, and “The Miracle Season” brought in $4 million.
Overall, 2018 box receipts are down 2.1 percent compared to this time last year. “A Quiet Place” was just the shot in the arm that the industry needed.
Moviegoers were totally caught up in the plot.
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