Sony's horror flick "Don't Breathe" dominated the box office over the weekend by raking in $26.1 million. It has dethroned Suicide Squad, which came in at second place with $12.1 million.
The result was quite very unprecedented and profitable as well. NY Times reported that it only cost $9.8 million to make "Don't Breathe." The movie was able to connect to its critics, proving that it is not the typical run-of-the mill home invasion turned scary kind of film.
Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 86%. Stephanie Zacharek, Time Magazine said in her review that the concept of the film is "simple and ingenious." Adam Graham, Detroit News, said that the film's "twist and turns is more frightening than the last." With reviews like this, "Don't Breathe" is set to make history at the box office.
The film's marketing strategy relied heavily on different digital and social media platforms such as Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook. They've created multiple animated GIF's and mobile apps that drove the public's interest on the film.
Rory Bruer, Sony's distribution chief, said that they are expecting "Don't Breathe" to bring in more revenue. Bruer added that they knew they had something quite special with this movie.
The movie "Don't Breathe" added to the list of profitable low-budget films for Sony. Josh Greenstein, chief marketing for Sony Pictures, added that included in the list are "The Shallows" and "Sausage Party." These films were completed using a modest budget while doing really, really well on the box office.
"Don't Breathe" revolves around the story of three teenagers, Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette), and Money (Daniel Zovatto) who thought they've found the score of a lifetime - robbing a rich, blind man played by actor Stephen Lang. The film was directed by Fede Alvarez who is known for directing Evil Dead remake.
