SonyÔÇÖs ÔÇÿGran TurismoÔÇÖ Opens with $17.3 Million, Aims for Turbo Boost in Box Office

SonyÔÇÖs late-summer event pic Gran Turismo declared victory at the weekend box office race with a $17.3 million domestic opening, a somewhat muted start for a movie based on a popular video game. The hope now is that an A CinemaScore from audiences will provide a turbo boost in the days to come.

Directed by Neill Blomkamp, the racing pic had been set to launch nationwide on Aug. 11 but switched gears because of the actors strike and the resulting prohibition on the cast ÔÇö led by Orlando Bloom and David Harbour ÔÇö doing any press. The studio instead hosted two weekends of sneaks and a handful of fan screenings to build buzz before opening the movie everywhere on Aug. 25.

The opening number includes a hefty $3.9 million in grosses from those previous sneaks. ItÔÇÖs hardly the first time that a Hollywood studio has added such grosses to an opening weekend number, but the early Gran Turismo screenings were more robust than is the norm.

Put another way: Warner Bros. and Greta GerwigÔÇÖs mega-blockbuster Barbie ÔÇö which has now earned an estimated $594.9 million domestically ÔÇö would have been assured of topping the weekend chart. Saturday estimates showed Barbie earning $15.7 million from 3,736 locations in its sixth weekend, but Warners bumped up that number to $17.1 million by Sunday morning. (The Barbie team was none too pleased about the Gran Turismo situation.)

Monday actuals will determine the official order. Box office analysts caution that numbers for all films could shift between now and then because of SundayÔÇÖs second annual National Cinema Day when tickets will cost $4 for any film in any format at thousands of cinemas across the country. ÔÇ£It will be a wild day in theaters,ÔÇØ says one Hollywood studio distribution chief. (As of early Sunday morning, analytics firm EntTelligence reported that Barbie was in the lead in terms of ticket sales.)

DCÔÇÖs Blue Beetle slotted third place with an estimated $12.8 million from 3,871 locations in its second outing for a domestic total of $46.3 million. If these estimates hold, thatÔÇÖs a decline of just 49 percent. Overseas, the superhero pic earned another $10 million for a foreign tally of $35.5 million and a disappointing $81.8 million globally.

Taking fourth place is UniversalÔÇÖs summer sensation Oppenheimer, which earned an estimated $9 million from 2,872 cinemas for a domestic total of $300 million. In yet another milestone, Oppenheimer has passed up Inception to become Christopher NolanÔÇÖs third-highest-grossing film at the domestic box office behind The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, not adjusted for inflation.

Oppenheimer also continues to do big business overseas, grossing another $29.1 million for a foreign total of $477.1 million ÔÇö thatÔÇÖs ahead of The Dark KnightÔÇÿs $471 million ÔÇö and a global haul of $777.1 million.

In addition to Gran Turismo, a number of indie titles made a play this weekend at the U.S. box office as summer speeds toward the finish line. (The hope is that domestic revenue for the season will hit the $4 billion mark in a return to pre-pandemic levels.)

Lionsgate and Roadside AttractionsÔÇÖ Retribution, the latest action pic from Liam Neeson, placed No. 8 with an estimated $3.3 million from 1,750 theaters, in line with already lowered expectations. The pic could make up ground on premium VOD, although it got slapped with a C CinemaScore from audiences

Briarcliff/Open Road opened The Hill, an inspirational sports drama starring Dennis Quaid, in 1,570 locations. The movie took in an estimated $2.5 million from 1,570 locations.

Bleecker StreetÔÇÖs specialty film Golda, starring Helen Mirren as former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, is looking to take in $2 million despite playing in far fewer theaters than The Hill, or 883 locations.

At the specialty box office, MGM and AmazonÔÇÖs critically acclaimed Bottoms, a teen sex comedy directed by Emma Seligman, is off to an impressive start as it launches in 10 locations. The filmÔÇÖs location average for the weekend is $51,600, the best average for a film starting off in 10 locations since before the pandemic.

Several high-profile rereleases were also on the marquee timed to National Cinema Day, including Jurassic Park and American Graffiti. Jurassic Park stomped to an estimated $1.7 million.

Aug. 27, 7:45 a.m.: Updated with revised numbers.

This story was originally published Aug. 26 at 8:20 a.m.