“Ghostbusters” is still a lucrative business in America

Nearly 40 years later, ghost hunting is still a lucrative business.

Leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, the most recent effort to revive the film “Ghostbusters” drew massive audiences in theaters, while the award-winning “King Richard”, like most theatrical films released during the pandemic, is still on hold. having problems.

With nostalgia and some high-profile cameos in its arsenal, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” exceeded expectations by grossing $44 million from 4,315 locations in its opening weekend, according to studio estimates. Posted on Sunday. Sony tapes are shown exclusively in cinemas.

The opening weekend of “Afterlife” lags behind the weekend recorded by “Ghostbusters,” starring Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig, which grossed $46 million upon its June 2016 debut. For pandemic-era moviegoers, the key difference is that “Afterlife” costs about half the cost of production.

Other high-profile premieres did not have the expected reception. The play “King Richard,” starring Will Smith as tennis player Venus and Serena Williams’ father, grossed $5.7 million in 3,302 theaters. The Warner Bros. film was released simultaneously on the HBO Max platform and in theaters.