’42’ bats up $9.1 million Friday, earns rare ‘A+’ CinemaScore

The Jackie Robinson baseball drama 42 exceeded industry expectations on Friday, grossing $9.1 million during its first day in theaters. The film, a $40 million production from Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, swung harder than other recent baseball flicks like Moneyball and Trouble with the Curve, which grossed $6.7 million and $4.2 million on their opening days, respectively.

Notably, 42 earned a rare “A+” CinemaScore grade from polled audiences, thereby joining the ranks of fellow crowd-pleasers like The Help, Tangled, The Blind Side, and Titanic. Strong word-of-mouth should drive business on Saturday and Sunday — the film will likely earn about $27 million in its first three days — and also in the weeks to come. Warner Bros. just may have a grand slam hit on its hands. Read more