There’s a famous quote that has been attributed — perhaps falsely — to Harriet Tubman through the years about how she would’ve been able to free many more slaves only if they realized they were actually enslaved.
Or something like that.
I bring that up to say that despite some racially-charged, micro-aggressive attitudes (by some blacks) towards the new big picture biopic chronicling the legacy of the trailblazing abolitionist, the Kasi Lemmons-helmed Harriet has proven to be a winner at the box office.
According to Forbes, audiences turned out in a big way for the Focus Features film starring Broadway star Cynthia Erivo in the leading role as the legendary Black History Month figure — a freedom fighter who helped free hundreds of enslaved black people during the 19th century through a secret network known as The Underground Railroad.
“I’m happy to note that audiences seem to be showing up, with the film netting a solid $12 million opening weekend,” film industry writer Scott Mendelson wrote on Sunday.
“That’s a promising 3.07x multiplier from an A+ Cinemascore grade,” he added.
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Running 2 hours and 5 minutes, the Debra Martin Chase-produced epic opened in a little over 2,000 theaters and outpaced big-budgeted box office juggernauts such as Malificent: Mistress of Evil and an animated adaptation of The Addams Family TV series.
Harriet, which also stars Tony Award winner Leslie Odoms, Jr., Vanessa Bell Calloway, Clarke Peters, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Janelle Monae and country superstar Jennifer Nettles, trampled Edward Norton’s much-hyped drama, Motherless Brooklyn, and the animated Arctic Dogs, which also opened on Friday.
“Audiences have been unanimous for their love of this film, which is clear from its A+ CinemaScore and 98% Audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes,” Focus distribution president Lisa Bunnell said in a statement today.
“With the story of one woman’s strength that literally change the world we all live in today, it is the feel-great movie people are looking for – becoming an event for friends and families going to see together,” she added.
Source: Despite Controversies, Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman Proves to Be a Winner at Box Office
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