It looks like the shapeshifters will hand the baton off to the doppelgängers at the box office this weekend, as the MCU’s smash hit Captain Marvel makes way for Jordan Peele’s horror film, Us. Jordan Peele’s debut film Get Out wound up becoming wildly profitable, earning over $250 million on a $4.5 million budget. And although it is far too early to tell if Us will enjoy similar success, it does look like it will get off to a strong start opening weekend.
The horror movie from Universal and Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw productions is tracking to open in a wide range from $38 million to $48 million according to The Hollywood Reporter. There is even a belief among some box office analysts that Us could reach or crack the $50 million mark this weekend.
Based on this tracking, things are looking good that Us will come in first at the box office, beating out Captain Marvel in its third weekend in release. Even at the low end, a $38 million opening bow would improve on Get Out’s $33.4 million domestic debut in 2017. Us cost more than Get Out though at $20 million, but it still looks poised for box office success.
These predictions are up from the earlier tracking that had the film landing between $35 million and $40 million. Those numbers came in before the Us' buzzy premiere at the South By Southwest Film Festival and before the positive reviews started coming out. Now it's the week of the release and the buzz has increased and the opening weekend box office tracking seems to reflect that.
Other than Captain Marvel, which has been in theaters for a couple of weeks now, Us will not have any major competition this weekend; no other studio putting out a wide release opposite the follow-up to Jordan Peele’s box office hit, Get Out.
If Us manages to go as high as $50 million this weekend, it will be a feat similar to what A Quiet Place managed last year. John Krasinski’s film too had a buzzy SXSW premiere and opened in early April to $50 million. Like A Quiet Place and Get Out, Us will also likely benefit from positive word of mouth.
The reviews are in for the film and they are very positive, indicating that Jordan Peele has once again delivered. Only this time, it is a true horror film, yet one that still give you plenty to think about once you leave the theater. As the kind of film that is likely to inspire discussion, it may drive people to the theater to participate and perhaps even have repeat viewings, as star Winston Duke has recommended.
Us opens on March 22. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all the other movies you should have your eyes on this year.
