“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is the top film at the box office for the third straight weekend, but the muted reception for Clint Eastwood s “Cry Macho” suggests older moviegoers still aren't as eager to return to theaters.
Marvel s “Chang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, collected an estimated $21.7 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Walt Disney Co. release has held better in theaters than most films during the pandemic. Its 37% drop in the third weekend is the best third-week hold for any Marvel movie ever.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Marvel's first Asian superhero movie, has earned an estimated $320.6 million worldwide. The only trouble for “Shang-Chi” thus far is a lack of a release date in China, which hasn't cleared the film for release in the country, the world's largest but highly censored film market.
While “Shang-Chi” is playing only in theaters, Warner Bros. released “Cry Macho” simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max — as the studio has all 2021 films. During the pandemic, younger moviegoers have been more likely to flock to theaters, and the audience for “Cry Macho” was 89% over the age of 35, Warner Bros. said. The film, which Eastwood directed and stars in as a former rodeo star hired to bring a young man home from Mexico, opened with an estimated $4.5 million.
Warner Bros., which has distributed 44 films with Eastwood for a total of $3.8 billion in box office, only celebrated the 91-year-old director's latest. “Clint Eastwood is a Warner Bros. institution,” said Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, in a statement. To celebrate Eastwood's 50 years of directing, the studio will re-release six of his films — from “Dirty Harry” to “American Sniper” — in theaters and on HBO Max this fall.
The soft debut of “Cry Macho” allowed Disney's “Free Guy,” with Ryan Reynolds, to take the No. 2 spot in its sixth week of release with $5.2 million. It has grossed $108.6 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $298 million globally.
“Copshop,” an action thriller starring Gerard Butler and Frank Grillo, also struggled to make an impression. The Open Road and Briarcliff release launched with $2.3 million.
In limited release, Searchlight Pictures' “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” starring Jessica Chastain as the televangelist, debuted in 450 theaters with about $700,000 in ticket sales. It expands to more than 1,000 theaters next week.
