Tarantino’s ninth film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, opened with a solid $5.8 million at 3,318 North American locations in Thursday previews.
Sony’s much-anticipated comedy drama, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, will expand to 3,659 sites against the second weekend of Disney’s blockbuster remake of “The Lion King.” “Once Upon a Time” is promising R-rated counter-programming and should deliver a $30 million opening weekend, according to forecasts.
DiCaprio and Pitt share the big-screen with Margot Robbie, Al Pacino, Dakota Fanning, Kurt Russell, Lena Dunham and the late Luke Perry. The movie premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, 25 years after Tarantino’s signature “Pulp Fiction” debuted at the same site.
Reviews have been strong with a current 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
DiCaprio portrays an aging actor with Pitt as his longtime stunt double in a drama set in 1969 Hollywood with Sharon Tate (Robbie) moving in next door prior to the Manson family murders. Sony spent $90 million in production fees, a figure that doesn’t include global marketing costs.