The sexy tennis drama “Challengers” served up a smashing victory at the box office this weekend, raking in an impressive $15 million in ticket sales. The film, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor, captivated audiences with its steamy and competitive love triangle between tennis players.
Zendaya, who has been on a whirlwind press tour promoting the film, proved her star power as 55% of audiences cited her as the reason for seeing the movie. With her previous successes in franchises like “Spider-Man” and “Dune,” Zendaya’s ability to draw crowds to theaters was put to the test with “Challengers,” and she did not disappoint.
The film’s success was also attributed to its strong marketing campaign and positive reviews, boasting an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a B+ CinemaScore from opening day audiences. Additionally, large format screens, including IMAX, contributed significantly to the opening weekend grosses.
While “Challengers” dominated the box office, the faith-based film “Unsung Hero” claimed second place with $7.8 million, followed by “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” in third place with $7.2 million. The diverse range of films in the top five, including the horror movie “Abigail” and A24’s “Civil War,” showcased the variety of offerings for moviegoers in April.
As the summer movie season approaches, the anticipation is high for upcoming releases like the action-comedy “The Fall Guy,” starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. With a mix of critically acclaimed films and crowd-pleasing blockbusters, the box office is gearing up for an exciting season of cinema.