The biography Elvis, starring Austin Butler as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, got off the ground with $3.5 million in Thursday previews at the stateside box office.
In addition, the Black Phone, the latest horror offering from Blumhouse and Universal, started its debut on Thursday. It was not far behind Elvis, raking up $3 million in previews (horror is often front-loaded).
According to Warner Bros. and tracking, Elvis is expected to gross up to $25 million in its first weekend. The Elvis Presley biography, which had its world debut at the Cannes Film Festival, has received an 81 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes (which stands behind Black Phone, which has an 87 percent score). In the film, Tom Hanks plays the role of music manager Colonel Tom Parker, while Olivia DeJonge (The Visit) takes on the role of Priscilla Presley.
After more than two years of the pandemic, this week saw a revival with two new releases and holdovers Top Gun: Maverick — which continues to make splashes as it surpasses $500 million in North America — alongside Jurassic World: Dominion, and Lightyear.
