The remake of the 1961 musical film "West Side Story" earned a disappointing $10.5 million at the North America box office this past weekend.
This total was below expectations, which projected the film to make closer to $15 million in its debut weekend.
The total is a bit surprising considering that the film had a lot working in its favor. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie earned great reviews and has a lot of Oscar buzz around it. But those weren't enough to generate big returns at the box office.
West Side Story has a 93% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes and an "A" CinemaScore from audiences who saw it. However, the box office returns are lackluster.
Recent film adaptations of Broadway musicals, such as "In The Heights," "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Cats," also disappointed at the box office, with each bringing in less than $30 million in domestic ticket sales, according to Comscore.
New movie "Spider-Man: No Way Home" opens in theatres next week, and the latest from Spider-Man and Marvel Comics could end 2021 on a high note for theaters attempting to rebound from the pandemic.
