Entertainment

‘Shazam!’ debuts with $53.5M, handing DC Comics another win

Published

7 years ago

April 8, 2019

NEW YORK (AP) — Seven films in, the DC Extended Universe is finally flying with some wind behind its back. The well-reviewed, relatively modestly budgeted “Shazam!” debuted with $53.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, handing DC its latest critical and box-office success.

Though one of the oldest characters in DC’s superhero stable, “Shazam!” doesn’t boast the name-recognition of Batman or Superman. But by scaling back to a $100 million budget and going for the lighter, comic tone, “Shazam!” steadily built up its word of mouth with stellar reviews. Warner Bros. also showed the film nationwide two weeks before opening, where it made $3 million in advance screenings.

“Shazam!” came out well ahead of the weekend’s other top draw, “Pet Sematary.” Paramount Pictures’ remake of the original 1989 Stephen King adaptation opened in a distant second with $25 million. It’s a solid start for “Pet Sematary,” though far from the haul that the last big-screen adaptation of King’s conjured up: “It” opened with $123.4 million in 2017.

Last week’s top film, “Dumbo,” slid steeply in its second week. Landing in third, the Disney live-action remake dropped 60% with $18.2 million.

Pitched as ”‘Big’ meets Superman,’” “Shazam!” stars Asher Angel as Billy Batson, a teenage foster kid who transforms into an adult superhero (played by Zachary Levi).

Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief at Warner Bros., said the studio originally forecast a $40 million opening. “That was the right number for us,” Goldstein said. “That’s what we needed to make money on it.”

But expectations grew based on reviews (91% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audience reaction (an “A″ Cinemascore). The PG-13-rated film attracted an especially young crowd; 45% were under 25.

The result further validated DC’s pivot following the disappointments of Zack Snyder’s “Batman v Superman” and David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad.” Warner Bros. has since steered its comic book adaptions in a different direction, leaning more on stand-alone entries less predicated on the overall “universe” and more fluctuating in tone. Following “Wonder Woman” and “Aquaman,” ″Shazam!” makes it three in a row for DC superhero standalones.

Earlier in the week, Warner Bros. also teased the DC release “Joker,” with Joaquin Phoenix, at CinemaCon. An even smaller-budgeted origin story with a similarly unique, albeit much darker, tone; it was one of the most talked-about movies at the Las Vegas event.

″‘Wonder Woman’ was really the start of changing the ship,” Goldstein said. “When you look at each of these properties, they’re all very different. Their approach is different. Their tone is different. But here’s the commonality: All good movies, all well done. I think that’s what you’ll see out of DC is very specific approaches for that property.”

Overseas, “Shazam!” grossed $102 million in 79 markets, including $30.9 million in China.

“DC has really found its groove,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. “They’re really breaking out each character. Shazam and the Joker could not be two more different characters within the DC Universe. But I think that diversity of content is going to serve them well.”

Dergarabedian noted the two most dominant genres in movies right now — superheroes and horror — swamped theaters over the weekend, taking up four of the top five spots at the box office. The stiff competition in similar-styled holdovers could have slightly depressed results for both “Shazam!” and “Pet Sematary.” But right now, there’s scant room on the calendar between major comic book films and horror releases.

In fourth was Jordan Peele’s horror thriller “Us,” which added $13.8 million in its third week. Its cumulative global total stands at $216.6 million.

Marvel’s Brie Larson-led “Captain Marvel,” which recently crossed $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales, took in $12.7 million domestically in its fifth weekend. Captain Marvel, ironically, was Shazam’s original name when the character was first crafted, as a Superman knockoff, in 1939. He was relaunched in 1973 as Shazam after decades of lawsuits and the debut of Marvel’s own Captain Marvel.

The weekend’s other wide-release newcomer was STX Entertainment’s “Best of Enemies,” starring Taraji P. Henson as a civil rights activist and Sam Rockwell as a Ku Klux Klan leader. It opened with $4.5 million.

In limited release, Claire Denis’ “High Life,” starring Robert Pattinson, opened with about $100,000 in four theaters for A24.

Neon’s Aretha Franklin documentary, “Amazing Grace,” debuted with $96,000 in eight locations. The film, shot over two days at the New Bethel Baptist Church in the Watts section of Los Angeles in 1972, was lost for decades in part because its director, Sydney Pollack, failed to slate the images, leaving them not synced with the audio. Before her death last August, Franklin sued several times to prevent its release.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.

1. “Shazam!” $53.4 million ($102 million international).

2. “Pet Sematary,” $25 million ($17.3 million international).

3. “Dumbo,” $18.2 million ($39.6 million international).

4. “Us,” $13.8 million ($10.3 million international).

5. “Captain Marvel,” $12.7 million ($14.1 million international).

6. “The Best of Enemies,” $4.5 million.

7. “Five Feet Apart,” $3.7 million ($4.1 million international).

8. “Unplanned,” $3.2 million.

9. “Wonder Park,” $2 million ($3.3 million international).

10. “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” $2 million.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.

1. “Shazam!” $102 million.

2. “Dumbo,” $39.6 million.

3. “P Storm,” $27.5 million.

4. “Pet Sematary,” $17.3 million.

5. “Captain Marvel,” $14.1 million.

6. “Us,” $10.3 million.

7. “Andhadhun,” $7.6 million.

8. “Song of Youth,” $4.5 million.

9. “Five Feet Apart,” $4.1 million.

10. “Cloud in the Wind,” $3.4 million.

Entertainment

‘SPAMALOT’ Joins Dr. Phillips Center’s 2026-27 Broadway in Orlando Season

Published

2 weeks ago

August 10, 2026

FNN NEWS

Tony Award-winning musical will play Walt Disney Theater Nov. 3-5, 2026

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is expanding its 2026-27 Broadway in Orlando season with the addition of SPAMALOT, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, scheduled for Nov. 3-5, 2026, at Walt Disney Theater.

Inspired by the classic comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, SPAMALOT brings Monty Python’s distinctly British humor to the stage through a comedic adventure following King Arthur and his quest for the Holy Grail.

The production comes to Orlando following a celebrated 2023 Broadway revival at the St. James Theatre, directed and choreographed by Josh Rhodes.

Monty Python Comedy Comes to Orlando

Described as “lovingly ripped” from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the musical features British royalty, flying cows, dancing girls, shrubbery and the Lady of the Lake.

The 14-time Tony Award-nominated musical features well-known numbers including “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life,” “The Song That Goes Like This” and “Find Your Grail.”

SPAMALOT features a book and lyrics by Eric Idle, with music by John Du Prez and Idle.

Cast Announced for Orlando Production

The cast features Major Attaway, whose credits include Aladdin, as King Arthur; Sean Bell (Harmony) as Sir Robin; Chris Collins-Pisano (Forbidden Broadway) as Sir Lancelot; Ellis C. Dawson III (Hamilton) as Sir Bedevere; Leo Roberts (Les Misérables) as Sir Galahad; Amanda Robles as the Lady of the Lake; Blake Segal (Mary Poppins) as Patsy; and Steven Telsey (The Book of Mormon) as the Historian and Prince Herbert.

The company also includes Lindsay Lee Alhady, Delaney Benson, Jack Brewer, Connor Coughlin, L’ogan J’ones, Graham Keen, Claire Kennard, Ben Lanham, Nathaniel Mahone, Maddie Mossner, Emilie Renier, Mark Tran Russ and Meridien Terrell.

Creative Team

The production’s creative team includes scenic and projection designer Paul Tate dePoo III, costume designer Jen Caprio, lighting designer Cory Pattak, sound designers Kai Harada and Haley Parcher, and wig designer Tom Watson.

John Bell serves as music supervisor, with Jonathan Gorst as musical director and conductor.

Derek Kolluri is associate director, Michael Fatica is associate choreographer and casting is by Geoff Josselson, CSA. RCI Theatricals serves as general manager, and Jeffrey Finn is the producer.

Tickets on Sale Now

Single tickets for SPAMALOT are on sale now through Dr. Phillips Center.

Performances: Nov. 3-5, 2026
Venue: Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Location: Orlando, Florida

Tickets and additional information are available through the Dr. Phillips Center website.

Central Florida News

Dr. Phillips Center Generates $227.6 Million Annual Economic Impact, Supports Nearly 2,500 Central Florida Jobs

Published

3 weeks ago

July 30, 2026

FNN NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts generated $227.6 million in annual economic impact, supporting 2,483 jobs and producing $13.2 million in state and local tax revenue, according to a newly released independent study by Tourism Economics.

The analysis, conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company specializing in economic impact and tourism research, measured the direct, indirect and induced economic activity generated by the arts center’s operations, performances, visitors and related spending throughout Central Florida.

The findings underscore the Dr. Phillips Center’s role as both a premier performing arts destination and a major contributor to the region’s economy.

“For more than a decade, we’ve seen firsthand how the arts inspire people, bring communities together and create lasting value,” said Kathy Ramsberger, president and CEO of Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. “This study confirms that our impact reaches far beyond our stages—supporting thousands of jobs, driving business growth, attracting visitors from around the world and helping position Central Florida as a more vibrant, competitive and connected region.”

Economic Impact by the Numbers

According to the Tourism Economics report, the Dr. Phillips Center generated:

$227.6 million in annual economic output
2,483 jobs supported across Central Florida
$70.8 million in total labor income in Orange County
$13.2 million in state and local tax revenue
$73.1 million in off-site spending by event attendees, performers and production crews
61,600 hotel room nights generated annually

The study highlights the ripple effect created by visitors attending performances, benefiting nearby hotels, restaurants, retailers and other local businesses.

A Global Destination for Arts and Entertainment

Now in its 11th year, the Dr. Phillips Center welcomes more than 910,000 guests annually, attracting visitors from all 50 states and more than 80 countries.

Since opening in 2014, the venue has hosted:

More than 6.2 million guests
More than 6,200 performances and events
Programming presented 99% of the year
Venue occupancy rates ranging from 82% to 97%

The center has become one of the world’s busiest performing arts destinations while helping position downtown Orlando as a leading hub for arts, culture and entertainment.

Community Investment Beyond the Stage

In addition to its economic impact, the Dr. Phillips Center continues investing in arts education, community outreach and cultural programming throughout Central Florida.

According to the organization, it has:

Served 935,920 students and community participants
Supported and hosted 202 regional arts organizations
Received support from 24,085 donors
Benefited from $256 million in philanthropic contributions since its inception

Through partnerships with schools, nonprofit organizations, community groups and touring productions, the center continues to expand access to the performing arts while strengthening the region’s cultural and economic vitality.

Looking Ahead

Eleven years after opening, the Dr. Phillips Center continues to demonstrate that investment in arts and culture produces measurable returns through tourism, employment, education and community engagement.

As Central Florida continues to grow, the independent analysis reinforces the performing arts center’s importance as both a cultural landmark and an economic engine for the region.

Additional information about the economic impact study is available through the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Entertainment

Blue Man Group Orlando Launches $25 Kids Ticket Offer at ICON Park Through Dec. 31

Published

2 months ago

July 6, 2026

FNN NEWS

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN NEWS) — Families can enjoy Blue Man Group Orlando for less this summer and fall thanks to a new ticket promotion that allows children to attend performances for $25 with the purchase of a full-priced adult ticket.

The limited-time offer is available for online purchases through Dec. 31, 2026, making one of Orlando’s newest live entertainment attractions more affordable for families.

Special Kids Ticket Offer

Under the promotion, guests who purchase a full-priced adult ticket may purchase a children’s ticket for $25.

The offer is valid for performances:

Monday through Thursday
Fridays at 5 p.m.

The promotion is not valid for:

Saturday performances
Sunday performances
Fridays at 8 p.m.

New Orlando Production at ICON Park

Blue Man Group opened its new resident production at ICON Park in May inside a custom-built theater located along Orlando’s International Drive entertainment district.

The production blends music, comedy, technology and audience participation, while featuring many of the signature moments fans expect from Blue Man Group alongside new material created exclusively for the Orlando production.

Global Entertainment Phenomenon

Since debuting in 1991 at New York’s Astor Place Theatre, Blue Man Group has entertained more than 50 million people worldwide through resident productions and international tours.

The show continues to expand with performances in Orlando, Las Vegas, touring productions across North America and an upcoming tour in Japan.

Blue Man Group is owned and operated by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group.