The End of Oak Street has officially entered the summer box-office race, earning an estimated $2.5 million from Thursday previews in North America.
The Warner Bros. science-fiction adventure opened nationwide Friday, August 14, starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor as parents whose suburban family suddenly faces a prehistoric nightmare. Variety reported the $2.5 million preview figure as the movie begins its opening weekend.
Dinosaurs return to the big screen
Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, best known for It Follows, the movie follows the Platt family after a mysterious cosmic event transports their neighborhood to an unknown world filled with prehistoric dangers.
Hathaway and McGregor lead a cast that also includes Maisy Stella and Christian Convery. J.J. Abrams is among the film’s producers. Warner Bros. is releasing the movie in conventional theaters and IMAX.
The film is reportedly targeting a global opening of roughly $38 million to $48 million, according to Deadline.
It faces major competition from Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is entering its third weekend after becoming one of the summer’s biggest hits.
Reviews could help
Early critical reaction may give The End of Oak Street an important boost.
Reviewers have generally praised its combination of dinosaur action, 1980s nostalgia and family drama. The Associated Press described the movie as an entertaining mix of spectacle and sincerity, while other critics have compared its atmosphere to classic Steven Spielberg adventures.
The movie’s $2.5 million preview performance is only the first test. The bigger question is whether audiences turn out throughout the weekend.
With recognizable stars, dinosaurs and an original story competing against established franchises, The End of Oak Street now has a chance to prove that an original summer blockbuster can still find a sizable theatrical audience.
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