The West Side Story box office has posted its domestic opening for the movie, falling short of its project goal. Steven Spielberg‘s remake has recently posted an opening day gross of $4.1 million. This revenue is from 2,820 theaters at the Friday box office. Altogether, the domestic opening for the movie has earned between the $10 million to $11 million range.
West Side Story had the goal of cleaning at least $13 million in its opening weekend. This goal, however, serves as a huge challenge in the era of the pandemic. So far, the target audience of young and middle-aged adults has been the slowest in terms of going to see the movie.
However, if those projections stay the same, the film will hold the #1 spot on the chart over Disney’s Encanto.
Speculations About West Side Story’s Box Office
Despite these numbers, West Side Story has earned an A CinemaScore from audiences. The same website estimates that the largest number of ticket buyers were over the age of 55. This might have something to do with the marketing for the film, which portrays it as a love story rather than a musical. Other speculations for the film’s earnings point towards its holiday season release date combined with the pandemic.
Still, the film has also earned an 88% positive on Comscore, and a 93% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Other movie websites theorize that the movie will be fine in the long run and that its takeoff has just not happened yet.
Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is based on the Broadway show. The film was originally set to come out in 2020 but was delayed by issues caused by the pandemic. The movie stars Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler as the star-crossed lovers of Tony and Maria. Spielberg’s movie is expected to be another major Oscar contender in the box office, much like its 60-year-old predecessor.
As of now, there are no assumptions that West Side Story will be placed on a streaming service, though its domestic opening could eventually lead to it.
