Warner’s drama The Way Back, starring Ben Affleck, debuted to $8.5 million from 2,020 theaters.
Directed by Gavin O’Connor, The Way Back follows a former basketball star (Affleck) struggling with the loss of his wife and addiction as he attempts to make a comeback by becoming the coach of his alma mater’s high school basketball team.
That’s a decent start for a movie boasting A-list talent and billed as a comeback for Affleck; some tracking services had the film opening to as low as $6 million.
The Way Back is the latest in a string of midrange misses for Warner and cost a reported $21 million to produce before marketing.
Ben Affleck’s box office track record has been mixed, to say the least.
In 2016, The Accountant debuted domestically to $24.7 million, while Live by Night, released that same year, opened to just $5.1 million after first playing in select theaters.
In 2013, Runner Runner bowed to $7.7 million domestically.
The movie, which skewed notably older and male, received strong reviews and B+ CinemaScore from audiences.
