Box Office: ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ Tops Friday With Great $16.5M

Ghostbusters: Afterlife started with a strong $16.5 million from 4,315 theaters at the Friday box office, putting the Sony event pic on course to open to a better-than-expected $40 million or more in North America.

The movie — which is launching in advance of the lucrative Thanksgiving corridor — is succeeding in attracting families, a win for the box office recovery and the franchise’s resurrection.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is directed by Jason Reitman and is a sequel to the iconic 1984 film Ghostbusters, directed by his dad, Ivan Reitman.

The story follows a single mom and her two kids who arrive in a small town and discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The film earned an A- CinemaScore, ahead of the B+ that Paul Feig’s female-skewing Ghostbusters received in 2016.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Annie Potts and Paul Rudd, in addition to some high-profile cameos.

The weekend’s other new offerings include the acclaimed biopic King Richard, starring Will Smith as Richard Williams, the father of tennis icons Serena and Venus Williams.

King Richard grossed $1.9 million Friday from 3,302 locations and is now looking at a subdued domestic debut in the $5.5 million to $6 million range (Warner Bros. had hoped for $7 million to $10 million). Adult dramas are a challenged genre at the box office these days; King Richard is also available via HBO Max.

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a script by Zach Baylin, King Richard also stars Aunjanue Ellis, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Tony Goldwyn and Jon Bernthal.

The movie is expected to be a strong awards contender and is likewise being embraced by audiences, who gave it an A CinemaScore. It is playing to an ethnically diverse audience, with Black viewers making up more than 40 percent of ticket buyers on Friday.