Elvis puts the King back in spotlight in North American cinemas, Latest Movies News - The New Paper
Movies

Elvis puts the King back in spotlight in North American cinemas

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Australian director Baz Luhrmann's rock 'n' roll biopic, Elvis, hip-swivelled to the top of the box office on its opening weekend in North America, taking in an estimated US$30.5 million (S$42.3 million) in a rare tie with Top Gun: Maverick, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on Sunday (June 26).

The nearly three-hour long extravaganza by Luhrmann, known for glitzy films like Moulin Rouge! (2001) and The Great Gatsby (2013), brought in nearly double the average for the musical biography genre, said analyst David Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

Despite being a "risky proposition", in part for casting relative newcomer Austin Butler as the king of rock 'n' roll Elvis Presley alongside Hollywood veteran Tom Hanks as his exploitative manager, Colonel Tom Parker, the film has impressed audiences and critics, Mr Gross said.

"This is the Baz Luhrmann show, a music, dance and sex appeal spectacular - it's a hit," he said.

Elvis was locked in a dead heat with Top Gun: Maverick - the crowd-pleasing sequel to the original 1986 film that once again features Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise as cocky United States Navy test pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.

It also earned an estimated US$30.5 million in its fifth weekend of release.

It is now the highest grossing film of the year worldwide, breaking the US$1 billion mark with nearly US$522 million in ticket sales in North America and US$484 million overseas.

In third place was Jurassic World Dominion, Universal's sixth instalment in the Jurassic Park franchise, at US$26.4 million.

The latest dinosaur frightfest stars Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard alongside franchise originals Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum.

Fourth spot went to horror film The Black Phone, starring Ethan Hawke as a serial killer, which earned US$23.4 million on its opening weekend.

Lightyear, Pixar and Disney's latest computer-animated offering from the Toy Story empire, took the fifth position with US$17.7 million in its second week.

The spin-off from the wildly successful animation series stars Chris Evans and has taken US$88.8 million in North America and US$63 million overseas, after a lacklustre opening.

Rounding out the top 10 were Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (US$1.7 million), Jugjugg Jeeyo (US$604,000), Everything Everywhere All At Once (US$533,346), The Bob's Burgers Movie (US$513,000) and The Bad Guys (US$440,000).

MoviesBOX OFFICECINEMASCelebrities