During a slow period in the film industry, Gina Prince-“The Bythewood’s Woman King” is generating the kind of excitement — and ticket sales — that the industry sorely needs. The action-packed film about an all-female warrior regiment earned $19 million in its first weekend at the American box office, considerably above Sony’s prediction of $12 million.
Viola Davis is a commander tasked with training the next generation of combatants in the African kingdom of Dahomey during the 1820s. ′′’ The Woman King’ opened on the upper end of our predictions and seems destined for a very robust theatrical run owing to strong word of mouth,” said Shawn Robbins, BoxOffice.com’s top analyst.
He described it as a nice boost of business for theaters during this slow start to the fall season, as well as for studios building up their pipeline of original content and adult-oriented shows. According to EntTelligence data, over 1.4 million people saw the film in its first three days in theaters, with 33% choosing premium format tickets. Those tickets averaged $4.50 more than regular ticket pricing.
Overall ticket sales were primarily driven by elderly female spectators, a demographic that has been reluctant to return to theaters since the Covid pandemic. According to Sony data, 58% of ticket holders were women, and 71% were above the age of 25. Furthermore, Black audiences accounted for 56% of total opening weekend ticket sales in the United States and Canada.
“Like ‘Black Panther,’ ‘The Woman King’ proves that uplifting, culturally based stories can engage well with all audiences,” said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. “With positive reviews and awards talk, this ‘King’ could have a lovely lengthy reign in theaters.”The picture has received acclaim from both critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, aggregate critic ratings are currently 95% “Fresh,” while general audience reviews are 99%. Analysts predict that “The Woman King” will quickly recoup its $50 million production budget and will have the ability to extend to a bigger audience as word of mouth spreads, as has Paramount and Skydance’s “Top Gun: Maverick” in recent months.
‘The Woman King’ demonstrated the potential of a brilliantly advertised epic with a terrific performer, an inspiring tale, and a favorable release date to pull people during what has been termed as a slow period’ at the box office,” Dergarabedian said.