Sony’s TriStar is hoping that the wave of successful faith-based films continues with their Heaven Is For Real, a new film starring Greg Kinnear. The studio opted to open the film in the middle of the week to get a jump on other wide releases that open on Easter weekend.
So far, the idea has paid off. Deadline reports that TriStar estimates that it opened with $3.7 million on Wednesday. That should put it on track to make around $20 million in total over the five-day weekend. It also earned an A+ CinemaScore grade from the audiences that turned out.
The film, based on the popular book, is about four-year-old Colton, who nearly dies and tells his family that he visited heaven. It centers on the real-life story about a pastor and his family in Nebraska. Randall Wallace directed.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Heaven actually made more money than Captain America: The Winter Soldier Wednesday. The Disney/Marvel hit made $3.5 million and is now up to $170.6 million in the U.S.
Johnny Depp and Warner Bros.’ Transcendence, the comedy A Haunted House 2 and Disney’s Bears documentary also open this weekend. However, The Winter Soldier and Rio 2 will likely come out on top by the end of the long weekend.