In the Heights has a surprisingly disappointing debut at the box office


Despite rapturous reviews, In the Heights, the new film based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway musical, isn't quite soaring to new heights at the box office.
In the Heights took in $11.4 million at the domestic box office this weekend, a surprisingly low four-day total after prognosticators expected it to gross closer to $20 million, Variety reports. In fact, the musical came in behind A Quiet Place Part II, which made $11.65 million and climbed back to number one at the box office after originally opening over Memorial Day weekend.
It was an unexpectedly disappointing start for a major musical from the creator of Hamilton that was almost universally praised by critics. Unlike A Quiet Place, though, In the Heights is also available to stream through HBO Max, so it could be that more moviegoers than expected simply opted to watch the film at home rather than venturing back out to theaters amid the pandemic.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Still, Variety writes that the film's streaming release is likely not the only reason it underperformed. After all, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It previously had stronger openings at the box office even though they were also available on HBO Max. Analysts pointed to a number of other reasons In the Heights may have fallen short in its opening, including its lack of big stars and the fact that the original Broadway show isn't as widely known as Hamilton. Given how well it's been received, though, it's still possible the film could generate more box office momentum in the next few weeks.
"Ultimately, this is not the first musical to be hyped by the industry and fall a little short of expectations," box office analyst Shawn Robbins told CNN. "Maybe the timing wasn't quite right, or it simply wasn't fair to expect such big things, even pre-pandemic, from a relatively original title with mostly unknown actors."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Can Trump put his tariffs on stronger legal footing?
Today's Big Question Appeals court says 'emergency' tariffs are improper
-
Film reviews: The Roses, Splitsville, and Twinless
Feature A happy union devolves into domestic warfare, a couple's open marriage reaps chaos, and an unlikely friendship takes surprising turns
-
Thought-provoking podcasts you may have missed this summer
The Week Recommends Check out a true crime binger, a deep-dive into history and more
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play