Weekend box office: Ready Player One takes the top spot

Brad Sturdivant April 1st, 2018

It has been a while since Steven Spielberg has opened a movie event as successfully as READY PLAYER ONE, but the film serves as a reminder to how good the director can be when he’s not Oscar chasing. READY PLAYER ONE (click the link to read our review) isn’t breaking any records, but with a $40+ million opening at the weekend box office, it easily took the top spot from the overperforming ACRIMONY and the still holding on BLACK PANTHER. And with good word of mouth and fanboys obsessed with finding all the Easter eggs, the film is primed to have a long run at the box office. Speaking of ACRIMONY, Tyler Perry does it again with a small budget film that’s overperforming thanks to an outstanding cast led by Taraji P. Henson.

Next week sees the release of the awkward looking comedy BLOCKERS, about a group of parents that try to prevent their kids from having sex on prom night. Without having seen the film yet, I think most of us could probably guess at least a dozen jokes that will be used at some point in the film. The other new movie is John Krasinki’s A QUIET PLACE, starring his wife Emily Blunt. The horror film has gotten some great early buzz and since there are no other horror movies to compete with, A QUIET PLACE could surprise. But my guess is that READY PLAYER ONE will hold onto the top spot, at least until RAMPAGE opens up on the 20th. Note: the numbers below will be updated as they become final.

1. Ready Player One $40.3m

2. Acrimony $16.9m

3. Black Panther $11.5m

4. I Can Only Imagine $10.4m

5. Pacific Rim Uprising $9.5m

6. Sherlock Gnomes $7.4m

7. Tomb Raider $5.4m

8. Love, Simon $5.2m

9. A Wrinkle in Time $5m

10. Paul, Apostle of Christ $3.7m

(Deadline)