Steven Spielberg is back on top of the box office.
The legendary filmmaker’s latest sci-fi thriller, Disclosure Day, arrived in theaters with a strong debut, pulling in $44 million across North America and nearly $93 million worldwide during its opening weekend. The film, produced by Amblin Entertainment and released by Universal Pictures, centers on a mysterious alien cover-up and has quickly become one of the summer’s biggest launches.
Playing in 3,824 theaters domestically, the film built momentum throughout the weekend after a $19.2 million Friday start. Moviegoers also showed up in large numbers for premium viewing experiences, with nearly half of the domestic revenue coming from Premium Large Format screens. IMAX alone contributed $7.3 million in North America and $13.8 million globally.
Internationally, Disclosure Day added another $48.9 million from 73 overseas markets. The strongest turnout came from the United Kingdom and Ireland, followed by Mexico and China, helping push the worldwide total to $92.9 million after just a few days in release.
The opening gives Spielberg his biggest debut for an original, non-franchise film since Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull hit theaters in 2008. It also marks a significant early step for a project carrying a reported $115 million production budget along with an estimated $80 million global marketing push. Industry observers believe the film will need to reach roughly $300 million worldwide before entering profitability territory.
Reviews have largely been favorable, with critics embracing the filmmaker’s return to large-scale science fiction storytelling. Audiences have been somewhat more divided, reflected by the film’s “B” CinemaScore.
At the weekend box office, Disclosure Day comfortably secured first place, finishing ahead of indie horror standout Obsession, which continued its impressive run with $19 million in its fifth weekend, while Paramount’s Scary Moviefollowed in third with $14.5 million.