Steven Spielberg’s new alien thriller Disclosure Day is drawing stronger-than-expected crowds in its opening weekend.
The film, directed by Spielberg and written by David Koepp from an original story developed with the filmmaker, began with Thursday preview screenings before expanding to 3,824 theaters across North America on Friday. Disclosure Day centers on Daniel Kellner, a cybersecurity specialist played by Josh O’Connor, who steals classified files proving the existence of extraterrestrials from Wardex, a secretive non-government agency that once employed him.
As Wardex closes in and appears willing to silence him by any means necessary, a separate mystery begins to unfold. Emily Blunt stars as television meteorologist Margaret Fairchild, who becomes an overnight sensation after unexpectedly speaking what Wardex believes is an alien language during a live broadcast.
The story ultimately links Daniel and Margaret, forcing the two to join forces as they try to reveal the truth about alien life to the public.
With Thursday preview revenue included, Disclosure Day is expected to bring in $18.5 million on Friday alone. According to Deadline, the movie is now on track to earn $42.5 million domestically by the end of the weekend.
If that estimate holds, it would mark a solid start for Universal Pictures. Earlier in the week, several industry outlets had predicted a softer debut. Deadline initially forecast a $35 million opening weekend, while Box Office Pro projected a range between $40 million and $50 million. Variety offered the broadest estimate, suggesting the film could open anywhere from $35 million to $50 million in North America.
Should the projection hold, that’s good news for Disclosure Day’s studio Universal Pictures, considering that industry trades were forecasting a lower opening for the film earlier this week. Deadline projected a $35 million opening Friday to Sunday frame, while Box Office Pro pegged a $40 million to $50 million bow. Variety cast the widest net, projecting Disclosure Day would open with anywhere from $35 million to $50 million domestically.
Disclosure Day had a $115 million production budget with an additional $80 million spent on marketing, according to Variety.
A $42.5 Million Domestic Bow For ‘Disclosure Day’ Would Put Film In Spielberg’s Top 5 Biggest Openings
Should Deadline’s projection for Disclosure Day hold at $42.5 million, it will be enough to take the No. 5 spot on the list of Steven Spielberg’s biggest openings at the domestic box office.
Currently, that spot is held by the director’s science action adventure Ready Player One, which earned $41.7 million in its opening Friday to Sunday frame in 2018.
Not adjusted for inflation, Spielberg’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is No. 1 on the director’s all-time list with $101.1 million in opening weekend in 2008. The Jurassic Park sequel The Lost World is next with $72.1 million opening in 1997, followed by War of the Worlds, which earned $64.8 million in its opening frame in 2004. Spielberg’s fourth-biggest opener is Jurassic Park, which made $50.1 million domestically in its first weekend in 1993.
The review embargo for Disclosure Day lifted on Tuesday, and the film had a 90% “fresh” critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer after its early reviews posted. By day’s end Tuesday, the critics’ score dropped slightly to 87% “fresh” based on 127 reviews.
As of Friday night, the RT critics’ score leveled off at 81% “fresh” based on 271 reviews, while audiences gave it a 75% “fresh” Popcornmeter score based on 500-plus verified user ratings.
Note: This box office report will be updated throughout the weekend as more numbers are reported. The final numbers for this weekend’s box office will be released on Monday.
