BY PAMELA MCCLINTOCK | HollywoodReporter.Com
Troy Warren for CNT
The sequel, which is opening midweek, reunites Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek and Samuel L. Jackson.
Lionsgate and Millennium Media’s The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard shot its way to No. 1 at the Wednesday box officewith an opening-day gross of $3.9 million from 2,490 theaters.
The $3.9 million includes Tuesday preview grosses and paid sneaks over the weekend.
Directed by Patrick Hughes, the action-comedy sees Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek all reprise their roles from the 2017 breakout hit.
The film is the first action-comedy on the marquee since major markets reopened, and will expand on Friday into 3,331 locations. It also has the advantage of opening as capacity restrictions are lifted in a host of major markets across North America, led by Los Angeles and New York.
Hollywood expects the film to post a five-day debut in the mid- to high-teens.
A Quiet Place Part II placed No. 2 with an estimated $1.5 million from 3,515 theaters for a domestic cume of $114.3 million. The Paramount horror-thriller pulled off a surprise upset last weekend in its third outing when beating the debut of In the Heights ($12 million versus $11.5 million, respectively).
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The film is also debuting in the U.K. and Mexico this week.
Set four years after the events of the original, bodyguard Michael Bryce (Reynolds) once again meets up with assassin Darius Kincaid (Jackson) as they embark on a new adventure to save Darius’ wife, Sonia (Hayek), from new threats. The sequel also stars Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman, Richard E. Grant and Frank Grillo.