Zendaya's "Challengers" Hits $15 Million at the Box Office, Leading the Weekend with Stellar Performance

Studios predict that Challengers, the seductive tennis story, brought about $15 million this weekend at the box office. In support of Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino's original film, which debuted in 3,477 theaters throughout the US and Canada, Zendaya, together with cast members Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor, have been around the world on a press tour. IMAX and other large-format screen ticket sales accounted for around 40% of the weekend box office receipts. 55% of viewers said they saw the movie because of Zendaya, according to a PostTrak exit survey that Deadline obtained. In fact, with the IMAX rerelease of Dune: Part Two this past weekend, Zendaya films brought in almost 26% of the total box revenue.

Challengers, which hinted at a seductive and competitive love triangle amongst the tennis players, has received mostly excellent reviews. Opening day audiences gave it a B+ CinemaScore, and it now has an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In second place was the religious movie Unsung Hero. It is based on the real-life tale of the Smallbone family and Rebecca St. James's ascent in the country music industry, along with that of her sons Joel and David (for KING + COUNTRY). The Lionsgate movie has a 100% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an exceptional A+ CinemaScore. The reviewer's rating is a far more moderate 58%.

These are Comscore's anticipated ticket sales for US and Canadian cinemas from Friday through Sunday. Mon. will see the publication of the final domestic statistics.
 

1. Challengers, $15 million.
2. Unsung Hero, $7.8 million.
3. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, $7.2 million.
4. Civil War, 7 million.
5. Abigail, $5.3 million.
6. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, $3.9 million
7. Kung Fu Panda 4, $3.6 million.
8. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, $3.3 million.
9. Dune: Part Two, $2 million.
10. Boy Kills World, $1.7 million.