The sexy tennis drama “Challengers” won the box office this weekend with $15 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates release Sunday.
Zendaya and cast-mates Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor have been on a globetrotting press tour to get the word out about Italian director Luca Guadagnino’s original film, which opened in 3,477 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Women made up 58% of ticket buyers, who also skewed younger overall: 41% were between the ages of 18 and 24.
Ticket sales from large format screens, including IMAX, made up about 40% of the opening weekend grosses.
According to PostTrak exit poll reported by Deadline, 55% of audiences said they went to see the film because of Zendaya.
The studio had originally planned to release “Challengers” in the fall of 2023, with a picturesque launch at the Venice Film Festival. But when the actors went on strike last July, the studio made the decision to scuttle the festival premiere and move the film to this weekend when they could safely assume the strike would be resolved.
Read the full story from the Associated Press.
