‘Magnificent Seven’ rides Denzel’s star power to super debut

Movie stars don’t open movies anymore? Tell that to Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks.
The pair, once co-stars in “Philadelphia,” have together dominated the last three weeks of the box office. After Clint Eastwood’s Miracle on the Hudson docudrama “Sully,” starring Hanks as Captain Chesley Sullenberger, topped ticket sales of the last two weeks, “The Magnificent Seven” rode Washington’s star power to an estimated $35 million debut over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Though both Washington and Hanks are in their early 60s, their box-office clout might be just as potent as ever. The debut of “Sully” was Hanks’ fourth best opening of his career; the opening of “The Magnificent Seven,” Antoine Fuqua’s remake of John Sturges’ 1960 Western (itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai“), is Washington’s third best.
Both films boasted other enticements. Eastwood is himself a draw. And the ensemble of “The Magnificent Seven” most notably includes Chris Pratt, the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star and a potential heir apparent to Washington and Hanks.
But Washington and Hanks ranked as the overwhelming reason audiences went to see either movie, according to comScore’s survey of moviegoers.
“They are the model of consistency and they are the model of quality,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for comScore.

Source: Arab News