‘Wonder’ bread
“WONDER Woman” powered its way to a $100.5 million debut this weekend — becoming the biggest blockbuster ever directed by a woman.
The well-reviewed movie easily surpassed industry expectations with one of the summer’s biggest debuts, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot as the Amazonian warrior princess, “Wonder Woman” is the rare — and most successful — female-led film in an overwhelmingly male superhero landscape.
It proved a hit with moviegoers, earning a CinemaScore of A. While skewing somewhat female, it drew a fairly evenly split audience. Warner Bros. said 52% of the audience was female and 48% male.
“Wonder Woman” added $122.5 million internationally, including $38 million in China.
Jenkins, who previously directed 2003’s “Monster,” starring Charlize Theron, now holds the record for biggest domestic opening for a female director.
The previous mark was Sam TaylorJohnson’s “Fifty Shades of Grey,” with $85.1 million in 2015.
While “Wonder Woman” didn’t match the box-office might of “Batman v. Superman” (a $166 million opening) or “Suicide Squad” ($133.7 million), it was much better received than those roundly derided releases.
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” slid dramatically to $21.6 million in its second week. It landed in third place, behind Fox’s “Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.”