Lightning Strikes for Shazam!

The superhero flick wins the weekend box office
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 7, 2019 12:45 PM CDT
Lightning Strikes for Shazam!
This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Jet? Laurence in a scene from "Pet Sematary."   (Kerry Hayes/Paramount Pictures via AP)

Seven films in, the DC Extended Universe is finally flying with some wind behind its back. The well-reviewed, more modestly budgeted Shazam! debuted with $53.5 million over the weekend, the AP reports. Shazam! has collected an estimated $56.8 million in total, including about $3 million from early advance screenings. Made for about $100 million, Shazam! follows recent DC successes such as Aquaman and Wonder Woman.

Paramount Pictures' Pet Sematary remake opened in second with $25 million. It's a decent start for the Stephen King adaptation, though far from the haul that the last big-screen adaptation of King's conjured up. It opened with $123.4 million in 2017. Last week's top film, Dumbo, slid to third with $18.2 million. Filling out the top five were Jordan Peele's horror flick Us ($13.8 million) and Captain Marvel ($12.7 million), per the Hollywood Reporter.

(More box office stories.)

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