‘Shazam!’ Opens to $53 Million at the Box Office

Shazam! is taking over the box office in its opening weekend. The New Line Cinemas DC superhero film will win its first weekend with $53 million. The film is directed by David F. Sandberg and written by Henry Gayden. It’s based on the DC character Shazam, first known as Captain Marvel, who was created by CC Beck and Billy Parker for Fawcett Comics in 1940. Asher Angel plays Bill Batson and Zachary Levi plays Billy’s superhero alter ego, Shazam. In this superhero-comedy film, Shazam takes on the villain Dr. Sivana, played by Mark Strong. The film also stars Jack Dylan Graer as Billy’s friend Freddy Freeman and Djimon Hounsou as the wizard who grants Billy his powers.

Also opening this weekend is Pet Sematary, the second film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1983 horror novel. The 2019 update is opening in second place with $25 million for the weekend. The film is directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer from a script written by Jeff Buhler.

Tim Burton’s live-action adaptation of Disney’s Dumbo moves into third place. The film opened last week in first place, though its numbers were disappointing compared to other live-action Disney adaptations. This week it will earn another $18.2 million, bringing its box office total to $76.2 million.

Jordan Peele’s Us moves into fourth place in its third weekend. The horror film will earn another $13.81 million, bringing its total to $152 million.

Captain Marvel (the other one) moves into fifth place, earning another $12.68 million. That brings its domestic box office total to $374 million. The film has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide.

Paramount animated feature Wonder Park moves into ninth place with $2.2 million for the weekend, bringing its total to $42.4 million. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World rounds out the top 10 with $2 million for the weekend and a $156.7 million total.

Have you seen Shazam!? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

1. Shazam!

Opening Weekend
Friday: $20 million
Weekend: $53.45 million
Total: $56.77 million

We all have a superhero inside of us — it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In 14-year-old Billy Batson’s case, all he needs to do is shout out one word to transform into the adult superhero Shazam. Still a kid at heart, Shazam revels in the new version of himself by doing what any other teen would do — have fun while testing out his newfound powers. But he’ll need to master them quickly before the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana can get his hands on Shazam’s magical abilities.

Shazam! is directed by David F. Sandberg from a screenplay by Henry Gayden, based on a story by Gayden and Darren Lemke. The film stars Asher Angel, Zachary Levi, Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Djimon Hounsou.

2. Pet Sematary

Opening Weekend
Friday: $9.7 million
Weekend: $25 million

Dr. Louis Creed and his wife, Rachel, relocate from Boston to rural Maine with their two young children. The couple soon discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his neighbor Jud Crandall, setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unspeakable evil with horrific consequences.

Pet Sematary is directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer from a script by Jeff Buhler based on a story by Matt Greenberg. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name written by Stephen King. The film stars Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, and John Lithgow.

3. Dumbo

Week Two
Friday: $5 million
Weekend: $18.22 million
Total: $76.27 million

Struggling circus owner Max Medici enlists a former star and his two children to care for Dumbo, a baby elephant born with oversized ears. When the family discovers that the animal can fly, it soon becomes the main attraction — bringing in huge audiences and revitalizing the run-down circus. The elephant’s magical ability also draws the attention of V.A. Vandevere, an entrepreneur who wants to showcase Dumbo in his latest, larger-than-life entertainment venture.

Dumbo is directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger. The film is a live-action remake of Disney’s 1941 animated feature of the same name. The movie stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, and Alan Arkin.

4. Us

Week Three
Friday: $4.3 million
Weekend: $13.81 million
Total: $152.4 million

Accompanied by her husband, son and daughter, Adelaide Wilson returns to the beachfront home where she grew up as a child. Haunted by a traumatic experience from the past, Adelaide grows increasingly concerned that something bad is going to happen. Her worst fears soon become a reality when four masked strangers descend upon the house, forcing the Wilsons into a fight for survival. When the masks come off, the family is horrified to learn that each attacker takes the appearance of one of them.

Us is written and directed by Jordan Peele and stars Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, and Tim Heidecker,

5. Captain Marvel

Week Five
Friday: $3.3 million
Weekend: $12.68 million
Total: $374.13 million

Captain Marvel is an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls. Living on Earth in 1995, she keeps having recurring memories of another life as U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers. With help from Nick Fury, Captain Marvel tries to uncover the secrets of her past while harnessing her special superpowers to end the war with the evil Skrulls.

Captain Marvel is written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck and stars  Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, and Jude Law.

6. The Best of Enemies

Opening Weekend
Friday: $1.75 million
Weekend: $4.5 million

The true story of the unlikely relationship between Ann Atwater, an outspoken civil rights activist, and C.P. Ellis, a local Ku Klux Klan leader. During the racially charged summer of 1971, Atwater and Ellis come together to co-chair a community summit on the desegregation of schools in Durham, N.C. The ensuing debate and battle soon lead to surprising revelations that change both of their lives forever.

The Best of Enemies is written and directed by Robin Bissell. The film is based on the book The Best of Enemies: Race and Redemption in the New South by Osha Gray Davidson. The film stars Taraji P. Henson, Sam Rockwell, Babou Ceesay, Anne Heche, Wes Bentley, Bruce McGill, John Gallagher Jr., and Nick Searcy.

7. Five Feet Apart

Week Four
Friday: $1.2 million
Weekend: $3.7 million
Total: $41.59 million

Seventeen-year-old Stella spends most of her time in the hospital as a cystic fibrosis patient. Her life is full of routines, boundaries and self-control — all of which get put to the test when she meets Will, an impossibly charming teen who has the same illness. There’s an instant flirtation, though restrictions dictate that they must maintain a safe distance between them. As their connection intensifies, so does the temptation to throw the rules out the window and embrace that attraction.

Five Feet Apart is written by Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis and directed by Justin Baldoni. The films stars Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse

8. Unplanned

Week Two
Friday: $1.1 million
Weekend: $3.8 million
Total: $13 million

Abby Johnson becomes the youngest clinic director in the history of Planned Parenthood, then a life-changing experience turns her into an anti-abortion activist.

Unplanned is written and directed by Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon, based on the memoir by Abby Johnson. The film stars Ashley Bratcher, Brooks Ryan, Robia Scott, Jared Lotz, and Emma Elle Roberts.

9. Wonder Park

Week Three
Friday: $564,000
Weekend: $2.2 million
Total: $42.2 million

Wonder Park tells the story of a magnificent amusement park where the imagination of a wildly creative girl named June comes alive.

Wonder Park‘s voice cast includes Brianna Denski, Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Garner, Ken Hudson Campbell, Kenan Thompson, Ken Jeong, Mila Kunis, John Oliver, Kath Soucie, Norbert Leo Butz, and Kevin Chamberlin.

10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

Week Seven
Friday: $525,000
Weekend: $1.98 million
Total: $156.69 million

From DreamWorks Animation comes a surprising tale about growing up, finding the courage to face the unknown…and how nothing can ever train you to let go. What began as an unlikely friendship between an adolescent Viking and a fearsome Night Fury dragon has become an epic adventure spanning their lives. Welcome to the most astonishing chapter of one of the most beloved animated franchises in film history: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. Now chief and ruler of Berk alongside Astrid, Hiccup has created a gloriously chaotic dragon utopia. When the sudden appearance of female Light Fury coincides with the darkest threat their village has ever faced, Hiccup and Toothless must leave the only home they’ve known and journey to a hidden world thought only to exist in myth. As their true destinies are revealed, dragon and rider will fight together—to the very ends of the Earth—to protect everything they’ve grown to treasure. For How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, series director Dean DeBlois returns alongside the all-star cast. The film is produced by Brad Lewis (Ratatouille, ANTZ) and Bonnie Arnold (Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon, How to Train Your Dragon 2).

The film’s voice cast includes Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, and F. Murray Abraham.