The Upside opens to lead the box office
Kevin Hart isn’t hosting the Oscars, but he’s got a No. 1 movie. The Upside, starring Hart and Bryan Cranston, surpassed expectations to open with $19.6 million (U.S.) in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The strong performance of Neil Burger’s film, a remake of 2012 French comedy The Intouchables, pushed Aquaman into second place after the aquatic superhero’s three-week reign atop the North American box office.
The Upside opened after several weeks of Oscar drama surrounding Hart. The comedian last month withdrew from hosting the Academy Awards, just days after being named MC, when he initially refused to apologize for years-old homophobic tweets.
On the publicity trail for The Upside, Hart repeatedly dismissed the Oscars controversy, saying he was “over it,” while flirting with the possibility of returning as host — something for which talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, in particular, advocated.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore: 1. The Upside, $19.6 million 2. Aquaman, $17.3 million 3. A Dog’s Way Home, $11.3 million 4. Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse, $9 million 5. Escape Room, $8.9 million 6. Mary Poppins Returns, $7.2 million 7. Bumblebee, $6.8 million 8. On the Basis of Sex, $6.2 million 9. The Mule, $5.5 million 10. Vice, $3.3 million