Warner Bros. musical has lost the No. 1 spot to “A Quiet Place — Part II” and now must rely on critical acclaim for a turnaround
The box office resurgence that began on Memorial Day weekend is wearing off as Warner Bros.’ “In The Heights” has fallen well short of expectations with an $11.4 million opening from 3,456 screens as it has opened simultaneously on HBO Max, losing the No.1 spot at the box office to the third weekend of Paramount’s “A Quiet Place — Part II.” Prior to the weekend, Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical was expected to earn at least a $20 million opening, and hopes were high for the film to overperform off the back of a diverse cast and an upbeat tone that would bring audiences back to theaters. Rave reviews from critics with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes score, along with event film-level marketing from Warner Bros. that constantly proclaimed the film’s connections to “Hamilton” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” was supposed to give the new release even greater momentum. Instead, audience turnout has been far lower than the horror and blockbuster sequels that have come out so far during this pandemic recovery period, as “A Quiet Place — Part II” has edged it out with $11.6 million in its third weekend for a domestic total of $108.7 million. Combined with the $10 million earned by Warner/New Line’s “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” ($43.
