“In the Heights” also opened on HBO Max, the streaming service owned by the studio’s parent company WarnerMedia, though the company didn’t report its digital viewership.
To date, the sequel has amassed $108.9 million, making it the first blockbuster since the onset of COVID-19 to cross the $100 million mark in the U.S.
Chu and Miranda devoted a great deal of energy into promoting the movie, which compensated for the fact that its cast was comprised of mostly unknown stars and emerging actors.
But, as audiences slowly make their way back to theaters, box office charts have indicated that people are more inclined to show up for properties with higher brand recognition.
Box office prognosticators believe “In the Heights” can find an audience over the summer, similar to the box office sleeper hit that was the 2017 musical “The Greatest Showman.” The Fox movie debuted to a muted $8.8 million, but audiences fell in love with the soundtrack and Hugh Jackman’s charisma and returned to theaters over and over again.
“When they connect, they’re capable of playing for weeks, generating strong multiples.” He adds that reviews and audience ratings are “outstanding.” It cinched an “A” CinemaScore from moviegoers, who were mostly older females.
Based on the 2008 Broadway show, “In the Heights” is set during a sweltering summer in Manhattan’s lively neighborhood of Washington Heights and centers on a bodega owner named Usnavi , who discovers that his mom-and-pop stop-and-shop has sold a winning lottery ticket.
During the pandemic, films catered to family crowds, like Universal’s “The Croods: A New Age” and Warner Bros.’ “Tom and Jerry,” have been reliable theatrical draws, so the “Peter Rabbit” sequel could have a long life on movie theater marquees.
Overseas, where HBO Max has yet to launch, the latest “Conjuring” entry has made $68 million for a worldwide haul of $11.8 million.
Rounding out the top five is Disney’s “Cruella.” The “101 Dalmatians” prequel, starring Emma Stone as the eventual puppy-snatching villain, nabbed another $6.7 million from 3,307 locations.
Still, there are several of would-be summer blockbusters on the horizon — “F9,” “Black Widow” and “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” to name a few — that should help to revitalize the movie theater industry.