{"id":16493,"date":"2014-03-30T12:02:10","date_gmt":"2014-03-30T19:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/filmchat\/?p=16493"},"modified":"2014-03-30T12:02:10","modified_gmt":"2014-03-30T19:02:10","slug":"noah-has-a-big-first-weekend-but-what-do-audiences-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/filmchat\/2014\/03\/noah-has-a-big-first-weekend-but-what-do-audiences-think.html","title":{"rendered":"Noah<\/i> has a big first weekend, but what do audiences think?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a>The box-office estimates are in for this weekend, and the news on that front is very good for Noah<\/a><\/i>, and perhaps for the Bible-movie genre as a whole.<\/p>\n

Audience reactions to the film, however, are more of a mixed bag, which could affect the film\u2019s long-term prospects.<\/p>\n

Noah<\/i> made an estimated $44 million<\/a> in the United States and Canada between Thursday night and Sunday, and it has earned another $51.1 million overseas; the film opened in Mexico and South Korea<\/a> one week ago and opened in another 20 territories<\/a> on Thursday or Friday.<\/p>\n

This is by far the best opening ever for a film directed by Darren Aronofsky<\/a>; in fact, Noah<\/i> has already outgrossed all but one of Aronofsky\u2019s previous films, the sole exception being the ballet-dancer horror movie Black Swan<\/i> (2010), which topped out at $107 million in North America and another $222.4 million overseas.<\/p>\n

This is also the best opening ever for a film in which Russell Crowe<\/a> has the undisputed lead role; the only film of his that had a bigger opening is Man of Steel<\/a><\/i> (2013, $116.6 million), in which he had a supporting role as Superman\u2019s father. Crowe\u2019s previous second-best opening \u2014 which might remain his second-best if Noah<\/i>\u2019s actual earnings turn out to be slightly lower than the estimate \u2014 was for American Gangster<\/i> (2007, $43.6 million), in which top billing went to Denzel Washington.<\/p>\n

Noah<\/i> ranks pretty high on the opening-weekend lists for several of its other stars, too. It marks the second-best opening for Jennifer Connelly<\/a>, behind Hulk<\/i> (2003, $62.1 million); the best opening by far for Emma Watson<\/a> outside of the Harry Potter<\/a><\/i> franchise; the best opening ever for Logan Lerman<\/a>; the fourth-best opening for Ray Winstone<\/a>; and the sixth-best opening for Anthony Hopkins<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Among Bible films, Noah<\/i>\u2019s North American opening ranks second only to that of The Passion of the Christ<\/a><\/i> (2004, $83.8 million), and its first-weekend earnings are already ahead of the total amounts earned by most other Bible-themed films released since people started keeping close track of the box office about 35 years ago:<\/p>\n