The UFO thriller Nope topped the North American charts in its first weekend in theaters with an estimated $44 million in ticket sales, Universal Pictures said Sunday. Though it doesn't come close to the $71 million debut of Us, it is still significantly impressive for an original, R-rated film—and the biggest of the pandemic for an original screenplay. Nope, which opened on 3,785 theaters in the US and Canada, is the most expensive film Jordan Peele has made to date, with a reported $68 million production budget, not accounting for marketing and promotion costs. Us cost around $20 million to produce, the AP reports, while Get Out was made for only $4.5 million. Both films ultimately made over $255 million worldwide.
Critics were largely positive about Nope, which stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun and pays homage to UFO films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Signs. Nope is currently resting at 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Word of mouth is going to be critical in the coming weeks for Nope, which begins its international rollout on Aug. 12. Nope knocked Thor: Love and Thunder to second place in its third weekend. The Disney and Marvel blockbuster starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman added $22.1 million, bringing its global total to $598.2 million.
Below are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
- Nope, $44 million.
- Thor: Love and Thunder, 22.1 million.
- Minions: The Rise of Gru, $17.7 million.
- Where the Crawdads Sing, $10.3 million.
- Top Gun: Maverick, $10 million.
- Elvis, $6.3 million.
- Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, $3.9 million.
- The Black Phone, $3.5 million.
- Jurassic World Dominion, $3 million.
- Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, $1.4 million.
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