It appears the DC Extended Universe of films is back on track. After Batman v Superman disappointed audiences, 2017's Wonder Woman and 2018's Aquaman struck better chords and made a lot of money at the box office. The latest DCEU movie, Shazam, opened this weekend--and it, too, is doing well out of the gate. The movie made $53.5 million in the US and Canada for its opening weekend, which represents a good start but of course not as strong as other, big DCEU films starring bigger and better-known characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Joker. It is the seventh movie in the DCEU. Counting preview ticket sales, Shazam has made $56.8 million in the US and Canada, according to Entertainment Weekly, which supplied all the box office figures. Shazam was the No. 1 movie of the weekend in the US and Canada. Shazam has made more than $100 million so far from international markets, for a global total of around $158 million to date. Shazam focuses on a young boy, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who can turn into an adult superhero named Shazam by yelling "Shazam!" Zachary Levi plays Shazam. The movie also stars Adam Brody, Ron Cephas Jones, Mark Strong, and Djimon Hounsou. It was directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation) off a script by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke. Elsewhere at the box office, the newest Stephen King movie, Pete Semetary, opened to $25 million, while another new release, The Best Enemies starring Sam Rockwell and Taraji P. Henson, opened at No. 6. You can see the full weekend box office report below, via EW. April 5-7 US/Canada Box Office<doc-sep>The domestic box office may be off to a sluggish start this year, but two genres have proven to be consistent winners: superheroes and horror. If that trend continues, movie theaters in North America might get a much-needed boost this weekend as Warner Bros.’ comic-book adventure “Shazam!” and Paramount Pictures’ remake of “Pet Sematary” open nationwide. The two titles are debuting alongside STX’s drama “The Best of Enemies.” “Shazam!” looks to be the big winner among newcomers. It’s expected to make between $45 million and $50 million when it debuts in 4,260 North American venues. Early tracking suggested the comic-book adaptation could launch with $40 million, but positive word-of-mouth has industry analysts more optimistic about one of DC’s youngest warriors. “Shazam!” — described as “Big” set in the comic-book world — centers on Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a teenager who transforms into a bubble-gum-snapping superhero (Zachary Levi) when someone says the magic word. Critics have praised the tentpole for taking itself a little less seriously than its superhero brethren. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman wrote, “The movie says: You’ve got to giggle at this stuff. That’s part of the adventure.” If “Shazam!” becomes a hit, it’ll be the third success story in a row for DC Entertainment as the studio attempts to fashion an alternative to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Warner Bros. spent $80 million to produce “Shazam!,” roughly half of what it spent to make “Aquaman” and “Wonder Woman.” For that reason, “Shazam!” doesn’t need to pull off the same kind of ticket sales that Gal Gadot’s Princess Diana and Jason Momoa’s King of the Seven Seas brought in. “Shazam!” has already earned $3 million from advanced screenings. The studio partnered with Fandango to build buzz by giving superhero enthusiasts a chance to see the movie two weeks ahead of its official release. Warner Bros. positioned “Shazam!” well between the slew of superhero titles arriving in theaters this year. It’s arriving over a month after Disney’s “Captain Marvel” and a few weeks ahead of “Avengers: Endgame,” presumably leaving enough time for comic-book nuts to geek out. It’s also targeting an older audience than “Dumbo,” Disney’s live-action remake that debuted last week. The PG movie directed by Tim Burton didn’t overwhelm at the box office, pulling in $45 million. Aside from superheroes, horror has been a reliable money-maker. That could be a good sign for “Pet Sematary,” a supernatural thriller based on Stephen King’s novel. It’s expected to collect around $20 million, though some independent box office trackers believe that numbers could reach north of $25 million when it opens on 2,500 screens. “Pet Sematary” is also bowing in 48 international markets. The film could, however, face some competition from Jordan Peele’s “Us,” now in its third weekend of release. Universal’s psychological horror film has amassed over $130 million at the domestic box office. “Pet Sematary” follows a family who, upon moving to rural Maine, discovers their new home is located near a mysterious burial ground that sets off a chain of horrific events. It stars Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, and John Lithgow. “Pet Sematary” currently holds an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, high marks for the genre. The final weekend release is “The Best of Enemies,” a drama from STX starring Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell as a civil rights activist and a KKK leader forced to work together to settle a court-ordered school desegregation decree. The feel-good film, based on a true story, should earn between $6 million and $12 million when it launches on 1,705 screens. That would be a solid start, given its $10 million price tag. At the specialty box office, Amazon Studios’ “Peterloo” arrives on three screens. The Mike Leigh historical drama is based on Manchester’s 1918 Peterloo Massacre. “Peterloo” premiered at the Venice International Film Festival to mixed reception. Elsewhere, Neon’s documentary “Amazing Grace” is finally hitting the big screen 46 years after it was shot. The film captures Aretha Franklin as she records her wildly successful album in a Baptist church. Documentaries have been a hot ticket in theaters lately. Several titles, including “RBG,” “Three Identical Strangers” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” became big box office hits last year.<doc-sep>
Shazam! easily took down this weekend's box office with a heroic $53.4 million domestic debut. David F. Sandberg's first jump into the comic book genre has been getting good reviews from critics and DC fans are enjoying it just as much. The lighthearted take on the genre has quite a few twists and turns, leaving it wide open for a sequel, which will probably happen since the response to the first installment has been so strong. The movie was able to snag another $102 million overseas for a grand total of $158 million globally. The Pet Sematary remake has also been getting positive reactions (though it received a C+ from CinemaScore), but it was still no match for Shazam! The R-rated horror movie was able to dig up $25 million this weekend, which is the second highest opening for a Stephen King adaptation behind Andres Muschietti's IT ($123.4 million). Overseas, the movie was able to scare up another $17.5 million, making for a grand total of $42.5 million globally. Disney's live-action remake of Dumbo fell to number three this weekend having earned $18.2 million. While Tim Burton's take on the movie has been receiving mixed reviews since its debut last weekend and could spell trouble for the rest of Disney's upcoming remakes this summer. Jordan Peele's Us fell to number four this weekend, having brought in $13.8 million. While the horror movie has been receiving generally positive reviews, it is still trying to get away from Get Out comparisons and critiques about the ending of the movie. Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel rounded out the top five this weekend with another $12.6 million. The movie recently passed the $1 billion mark at the global box office and stars Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson have been celebrating the milestone on social media. Drama The Best of Enemies made its box office debut over the weekend with a $4.5 opening, which was enough to take the sixth spot. The movie stars Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell as a black civil rights activist and a Ku Klux Klan leader, respectively and is based on a true story. Teen drama Five Feet Apart took in $3.7 million this weekend, which was enough to earn the seventh spot. Controversial anti-abortion movie Unplanned was able to take the eighth spot this weekend after earning an additional $3.2 million. So far, the movie has made over $12 million and is far exceeding early predictions. Animated family movies Wonder Park and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World rounded out the top ten with $2 million and $1.9 million, respectively. You can check out the rest of this weekend's numbers over at Box Office Mojo.