After the failure of “Mickey 17,” and “Alto Knights,” Warner Bros. might finally have one of its slated non-IP originals hit big at the box office this weekend.
Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” is now eyeing a 3-day opening that could land anywhere between $40–$50 million, according to projections. The film’s budget is around $100 million, and Puck claims it’ll need to end its run at $300 million to “break even.”
What’s motivating these big numbers for “Sinners”? Well, for one thing, it’s being sold as a horror movie—and the genre has been incredibly popular with audiences this decade. Add in Warner Bros.’ heavy marketing machine, and you’ve got a recipe for success.
It certainly helps that “Sinners” is earning glowing reviews from critics; it’s the most acclaimed big studio film of the year so far, boasting a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 83 on Metacritic. In an age when aggregate scores matter—for certain films, at least—to boost ticket sales, “Sinners” seems to have it in spades.