« Bohemian Rhapsody » is the champion of the box office this weekend.
» Bohemian Rhapsody » attracted crowds despite mixed reviews from critics. The film holds a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and some reviews have been critical of the film’s take on Mercury’s life and sexuality.
Yet, a strong performance from Malek, which is producing some Oscar buzz, and the rocking soundtrack of Queen’s greatest hits were enough of a draw.
« The bigger than expected debut for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ proved that the choice to see the film was an emotional one no matter what the critics had to say, » said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore. « It was the true fans who connect to the music of Queen and in particular Freddie Mercury that made this a hit. »
The film’s appeal is reminiscent of » Straight Outta Compton, » a music based biopic film about the creation of the groundbreaking rap group N. W. A. That one opened to $60.2 million in 2015.
The solid performance from « Bohemian Rhapsody » marked another unexpectedly big weekend for Hollywood.
Films such as « A Star Is Born, » « Venom » and « Halloween » helped set a box office record October, an increase of 10.7% from the same point last year, according to comScore.
