Moviegoes embraced “sin” over the Easter weekend.
“Sinners,” the highly anticipated period drama delivering a mashup of horror, music and vampires, scored a solid opening, topping the holiday box office with $45.6 million. The R-rated film starring Michael B. Jordan delighted critics and audiences who rewarded it with an “A” ranking on CinemaScore.
Coming in second was “A Minecraft Movie,” which continued its strong performance in earning $41.3 million a three-week total of $344.6 million.
The one-two punch of “A Minecraft Movie” and “Sinners” contributed 64% of the overall weekend box office, which was great news for Warner Bros., the studio behind both films.
“As we continue to strive to bring an array of films to moviegoers, we are thrilled to see how [director] Ryan Coogler’s original movie ‘Sinners’ and a movie based on the fan favorite Minecraft game, have resonated with audiences in such a stellar way,” Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group’s Mike De Luca & Pam Abdy said in a statement.
“Sinners” also marks the latest triumph for the partnership of Jordan and Coogler. The two first teamed up in 2013 for “Fruitvale Station” and reunited for 2015’s “Rocky” reboot “Creed” and the blockbuster Marvel epic “Black Panther.”
The film marks Coogler’s first directorial turn since 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
In “Sinners,” Jordan portrays twin brothers named Smoke and Stack, who return to their home in 1930s Mississippi to run a juke joint, encountering a variety of outrageous situations and adventures.
Days before its release, “Sinners” was already making headlines with reports of the film scoring 100% on Rotten Tomatoes (its latest score is 98%). Its success is already sparking awards buzz.
It’s also the first film to be shot with IMAX cameras since Christopher Nolan’s 2023 Oscar winner “Oppenheimer.” Coogler had heavily promoted the format, encouraging moviegoers to see “Sinners” in IMAX venues.
Michael B. Jordan as Smoke and as Stack in “Sinners.”
(Warner Bros. Entertainment)
