LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — The Warner Bros. superhero movie “Shazam!” topped the weekend box office, unseating last week’s champion, Disney’s Dumbo revival in North American theaters.
Shazam, based on the D.C. comics character, took a page from Disney’s approach and presented the story with a light, humorous touch, unlike previous Warner efforts such as the grim “The Dark Knight” and “Man of Steel” movies.
The approach helped the film to earn $53.5 million in North American theaters, slightly more than half of its production budget, per estimates by Box Office Mojo. Directed by David F. Sandberg from a screenplay by Henry Gayden, Shazam stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, a young boy who can turn into an adult super hero, who was played by Zachary Levi.
Paramount’s remake of the Stephen King horror short story “Pet Sematary” came in at second place, earning $25m according to Box Office Mojo.
Meanwhile, last week’s #1 film, Dumbo, slid by more than 60% in its second weekend at the box office, earning $18.2m.
Exhibitors came into the weekend with sales down 16 percent from the same period a year earlier, but
