“Sinners” sold an estimated $46 million in tickets in North America from Thursday afternoon through Sunday, box office analysts said, a terrific result for an original, R-rated, slow-burning horror drama set in the 1930s and rooted in Black culture. Reviews were rapturous.
But the film — directed, written and produced by Ryan Coogler — was expensive, analysts noted, costing Warner Bros. at least $150 million to make and market worldwide. The studio also agreed to demands by Mr. Coogler’s representatives for unusually generous compensation.
As a result, for Warner Bros. to make money, “Sinners” will need to attract substantial crowds in the weeks ahead. “It’s an excellent opening for a period horror film, except that it’s hard to call it completely successful because of its enormous budget,” David A. Gross, a film consultant, said in an email.
In a statement, Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, said they were “thrilled” by the “stellar” turnout. “Warner Bros. Pictures remains committed to bringing singular in-theater experiences to audiences looking for bold movies, both original and those based on beloved existing properties,” they said.
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A Warner Bros. spokeswoman added that “‘Sinners’ is on track to be both profitable and among this year’s most critically acclaimed movies.”
The movie, which features a striking soundtrack of blues, soul, gospel, bluegrass and Irish folk music, did particularly well at IMAX theaters, where tickets sell at a premium price. IMAX delivered about 20 percent of total weekend sales from only 399 locations. (“Sinners” played in a total of 3,308 theaters.)
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