‘Black Adam’ wins box office star

New York
CNN Business
–

Who said movie stars are no longer important in Hollywood?

Theaters and the box office got a much-needed boost this weekend thanks to the superhero movie”black Adam“The Romantic Comedy”Heaven ticketTwo films led by big stars.

Let’s start with the weekend winner:black Adam. ”

Warner Bros. movie conquered. , which starred Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a powerful superhero, ranked first at the domestic box office with an estimated $67 million. This is the biggest domestic opening ever for Johnson in a leadership role.

It’s also a much-needed win for theaters, which have been in a drought lately due to a lack of blockbuster films. Black Adam’s debut is the biggest box office opening since July’s Thor: Love & Thunder. (Warner Bros., like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.)

The film, which has a budget of $195 million, was led by Johnson who is one of the most recognizable stars in Hollywood at a time when the content and characters are more bankable than the big names. He has also starred in lucrative franchises such as Fast & Furious and Jumanji.

Coming in second is Universal Pictures’ Ticket to Heaven. The movie was made for $60 million and stars George Clooney And the Julia Roberts As a thrill they attended their daughter’s tropical wedding, grossing an estimated $16.3 million at the domestic box office.

Now $16.3 million may not seem like the biggest gross in the world, but it’s notable because romantic comedies have mostly become a dead genre at the box office. In fact, Universal suffered a setback only a few weeks ago when “Bros.” , which is another romantic comedy, is at the box office.

Billy Eichner, star of “Bros.” He said After the film’s disappointing debut that “straight folks, especially in certain parts of the country, didn’t appear in Bros.” , which was the first gay rom-com to be produced and distributed by a major studio with a wide theatrical release.

That may be a factor, but it’s also likely to have hurt that the movie lacks any superstars, while “Ticket to Paradise” has been spearheaded by two of Hollywood’s biggest names over the past 30 years.

The film has grossed $96.6 million globally so far, according to Universal.

In the end, it might not mean movie stars as much as they’re used to in Hollywood, but they can still help sell tickets, according to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore.

(Degree).

“The power of the stars is alive and well, with the two best films clearly benefiting from the brand recognition and big-screen appeal of the likes of Johnson, Roberts, and Clooney,” Dergarabedian told CNN Business. “Although many have underestimated the importance of having big stars headlining a movie, this weekend is showing that having actors with true movie star credentials can lead to box office success.”