'Arrival' Soars Past $20M in Sales, Can't Top 'Doctor Strange'
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Arrival hit the box offices this weekend and despite initially scoring 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, the film could not top last week’s hit — Doctor Strange. The cerebral sci-fi thriller is on track to rake in a solid $20-24 million during its first weekend.
Doctor Strange — which opened on November 4 — is going to secure its second straight weekend at the number one spot after earning an estimated $14.9 million on Friday, which places it around $40 million for the weekend. During its debut, the film topped foreign and domestic box offices, making it the most successful introduction of a Marvel character yet.
Arrival, which stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, came in third behind Marvel’s sorcerer supreme and DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls. When a group of mysterious alien pods land on Earth, Adams — who stars as a linguistics expert — is charged with communicating with their alien passengers.
See also: These 10 Smart Sci-Fi Films Set the Table for ‘Arrival’
Arrival is not a flashy, action-packed alien film, but a slower-paced, brainy thriller. Adams is reportedly already generating best actress buzz for her performance.
The film — which was snapped up by Paramount at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival — also stars Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Mark O’Brien. Based on “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, the film is directed by Denis Villeneuve and comes with a $47 million price tag.