Under normal circumstances, an action-packed blockbuster from the director of Deadpool 2 Y hobbs and shaw starring Brad Pitt in the title role would be a piece of cake to find box office success, but Bullet train It comes at a strange time for the theater industry.

Sure, it has a high concept and plenty of star power, but the vast majority of releases that have been wildly successful since the pandemic first brought the industry to its knees have had a recognizable IP and a PG-13 rating. With that in mind, it is good news to report that Bullet train He’s currently performing above expectations, and could even earn $30 million by the end of the week.

An original adult film that has no ties to well-known properties and has suffered from lackluster reviews (Bullet train currently sits at a Rotten Tomatoes score of 54 percent) made Leitch’s latest offering somewhat risky, especially when Sony doesn’t have a huge number of marketable brands at its disposal.

Fortunately, the A-list names and the promise of hard-hitting scenes packed with witty commentary and irreverent commentary have drawn audiences to the theater for their number, and with a budget said to hover around $90 million, a decent figure. overseas performance should be able to push Bullet train in the black quite comfortably.

Will it be enough to generate sequels? Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean Leitch, Pitt and the rest of the team can’t celebrate a successful first frame, with Bullet train It’s likely to be the last big hit of the summer before the fall season kicks into high gear.