Who says movie stars no longer matter in Hollywood?
Theaters and box offices got a much-needed boost this weekend thanks to superhero flick “Black Adam” and romantic comedy “Ticket to Paradise” — two films led by big stars. Let’s start with the winner of the weekend: “Black Adam.” The Warner Bros. film, which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a powerful superhero, took the No. 1 spot at the domestic box office with an estimated $67 million. That is the largest domestic opening ever for Johnson in a leading role.
3 million may not seem like the biggest total in the world, but it’s notable since romantic comedies have become a mostly dead genre at the box office. In fact, Universal suffered a set back just a few weeks ago when “Bros.,” another romantic comedy, flopped at the box office. Billy Eichner, the star of “Bros.,” said following the film’s disappointing debut that “straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros.