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Variety reports:

Despite concerns the delta variant would keep moviegoers at home, Ryan Reynolds’ sci-fi action comedy “Free Guy” had a better-than-expected start at the domestic box office.

The movie, from Disney and 20th Century Studios, collected $26 million from 4,165 North American theaters. Given its production budget above $100 million, those ticket sales wouldn’t be much to celebrate in pre-pandemic times, but isn’t a bad result as a plague sweeps the globe.

“Free Guy” marks an interesting test for the film exhibition industry because it’s playing exclusively in theaters, which is a rarity these days. Many high-profile films that premiered during the pandemic, such as Marvel’s “Black Widow” and “The Suicide Squad,” were available on streaming platforms on the same day as their theatrical debuts.

Read the full article.

Box Office: ‘Free Guy’ Debuts at No. 1 With Surprisingly Strong $28.4 Million https://t.co/PfKLIEHxOA

— Variety (@Variety) August 15, 2021