Horror Pic 'Smile' Happy At No. 1; 'Bros' Starts In 4th
Newsy
It's hard to compete with a new horror movie in October. "Smile" stars Sosie Bacon as a therapist haunted by smiling faces after a traumatic event.
Moviegoing audiences chose the horror movie over the romantic comedy to kick off the month of October. Paramount's "Smile" topped the North American charts with $22 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, leaving Billy Eichner's rom-com "Bros" in the dust.
Universal's "Bros" launched with an estimated $4.8 million to take fourth place behind "Don't Worry Darling" ($7.3 million) and "The Woman King" ($7 million). But opening weekends likely aren't the final word on either "Bros" or "Smile." Horror movie audiences are generally front-loaded, dropping off steeply after the first weekend, while something like "Bros," which got great reviews and an A CinemaScore, suggesting strong word-of-mouth potential, is a movie that could continue finding audiences through the fall. It is not unusual for R-rated comedies to open modestly and catch on later.
"Everyone who sees it absolutely loves it," said Jim Orr, Universal's president of domestic distribution. "Billy Eichner, (director) Nick Stoller and Judd Apatow have created a movie that's heartwarming and hysterically funny."
