Marvel’s Eternals tops the domestic weekend box office with a $71 million debut but falls short of expectations after lukewarm reviews
Marvel’s superhero movie Eternals topped the domestic weekend box office with a $71 million debut.
According to a report from Variety, the latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe fell short of expectations as projections estimated that the film would open to $75 to $80 million.
The film has received lukewarm reviews from critics with an average score of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes, marking the first time that a Marvel movie has ever received a ‘Rotten’ rating on the Tomatometer.
Big opening: Marvel’s superhero movie Eternals topped the domestic weekend box office with a $71 million debut
Eternals faired better with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, earning a rating of 85% but the film notched a B on CinemaScore, which the lowest for any Marvel movie.
However, Eternals’ opening weekend was the fourth-best for any pandemic-era release, coming in behind other Marvel movies Black Widow ($80.3 million) and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ($75.3 million) and Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage ($90 million), which was based on a Marvel Comics character.
The Chloe Zhao-directed film also raked in $90.7 million at the international box office for an impressive global take of $161.7 million.
Sky-high expectations: According to a report from Variety , the latest offering from the Marvel Cinematic Universe fell short of expectations as projections estimated that the film would open to $75 to $80 million
The film follows the Eternals, an Earth-based race of immortal beings with superhuman powers, who come out of hiding to protect humans from their ancient enemies, the Deviants.
The star-studded cast includes Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Kit Harrington, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh and Don Lee.
The film features MCU’s first deaf superhero (Ridloff as Makkari) and its first openly gay superhero (Henry as Phastos) who shares the franchise’s first onscreen same-sex kiss with Haaz Sleiman, who plays his husband.
Panned: The film has received lukewarm reviews from critics with an average score of 48% on Rotten Tomatoes , marking the first time that a Marvel movie has ever received a ‘Rotten’ rating on the Tomatometer
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Eternals was banned in the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar after Disney declined censorship requests from the nations to cut the film’s same-sex relationship.
While China has not banned Eternals, the film does not have a release date set in China. Both Black Widow and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings were not granted a release in China.
Though Zhao hails from Beijing, her Oscar-winning movie Nomadland also was not released in China, reportedly due to comments that she made in a 2013 interview with Filmmaker magazine which she said China is ‘where there are lies everywhere.’
According to Variety, Warner Bros. and Legendary’s sci-fi adventure film Dune came in second this weekend, tallying $7.6 million at the domestic box office.
MGM and United Artist Releasing’s James Bond flick No Time to Die took third place with $6.2 million and Venom: Let There Be Carnage placed fourth with $4.5 million.
Banned: According to The Hollywood Reporter , Eternals was banned in the Middle Eastern countries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar after Disney declined censorship requests from the nations to cut the film’s same-sex relationship
Controversy: Eternals is not expected to be released in China. Though Zhao hails from Beijing, her Oscar-winning movie Nomadland also was not released in China, reportedly due to comments that she made in a 2013 interview which she said China is ‘where there are lies everywhere’
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