Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” is leading Fandango’s ticket sales ahead of “The Lego Batman Movie” with 80 “Fanticipation” points.
Will Arnett’s “Lego Batman” scored 75 points, and “Fifty Shades Darker” and “The Great Wall” followed with 69 points and 65 points, respectively.
“Get Out” is outselling previous Blumhouse thrillers “The Gift” and “The Visit” at the same point in the Fandango sales cycle, according to a release from the ticketing company.
“‘Get Out’ brilliantly tackles the horror of racial tension in America today with a gripping and suspenseful tale that will leave audiences spellbound,” says Fandango correspondent Chris Witherspoon. “It’s Fandango’s top weekend ticket-seller for good reason – it’s a movie that will get people talking.”
According to a Fandango survey, 92 percent of moviegoers are “excited to see a thriller with provocative social commentary,” while 85 percent “wish there were movies like ‘Get Out.’”
On Tuesday, TheWrap reported that “Get Out” has the chance to finally dethrone “Lego Batman” from the top box office spot.
Universal has put out a conservative estimate for Peele’s directorial debut, which was produced for $4.5 million, expecting a weekend return in the high teens as it opens in 2,773 locations. But independent trackers told TheWrap that “Get Out” could make as much as $24 million. That would be enough for the film to at least take the No. 2 spot from “Fifty Shades Darker,” which made $24 million in its its second weekend in theaters.
“Lego Batman,” meanwhile, held on to the top spot at the domestic box office last weekend with a three-day total of $32.6 million from 4,088 screens. Analysts told TheWrap that “Get Out” is very likely to beat “Lego Batman” on Friday, but to win the weekend it will need at least a 20 percent drop-off from “Lego Batman” combined with strong word of mouth from early moviegoers.
In fact, the thriller starring Allison Williams and Daniel Kaluuya has held onto a rare Rotten Tomatoes score of 100 percent, now based on 69 glowing reviews. Of course, the score can still change as more reviews continue to trickle in.
The film is about interracial couple Rose (Allison Williams) and Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who reach a meet-the-parents stage in their relationship, leaving their metropolis for a country gathering hosted by mom (Catherine Keener) and dad (Bradley Whitford).
Chris expects chatter about their respective backgrounds and skin colors — not a series of disturbing social interactions and a revelation that quite a few young black men seem to disappear in the area.
“Get Out” opens in theaters on Friday.