Ryan Reynolds-starrer Free Guy breaks all expectations on box office debut

LOS ANGELES:  American actor Ryan Reynolds-featuring video game action-comedy "Free Guy" performed beyond everybody's expectations and went straight to the helm of the North American box office in its opening weekend.

The Free Guy film grossed $28.4 million, according to figures released Monday by trade firm Exhibitor Relations.

The 20th Century Studios Free Guy released it to theatres for 45 days in the United States on August 13.  The film was originally scheduled to be released on  July 3, 2020.

The Ryan Reynolds-starrer explores the line between the virtual and the real worlds in a lighthearted manner. Ryan Reynolds, acting as an anti-hero, realises he is a character in a video game and seeks to take control of his life in his hand.

The movie's results at its debut at the box office also left  David A. Gross, CEO of Franchise Entertainment Research spell-bound as he said, "Under difficult circumstances, this is an excellent opening. "

The Delta variant is costing a lot of money as there has been an increase in coronavirus cases.

The horror film "Don't Breathe 2," about a blind veteran who perpetuates a game of mass murder, came in second place with $10.6 million in its first weekend.

With $9.1 million grosses, Disney's family adventure film "Jungle Cruise," based on a theme park ride, came in third place.

"Respect," a biopic about soul queen Aretha Franklin, came in fourth with $8.8 million, and the supervillain flick "The Suicide Squad" rounded out the top five with $7.5 million.

Here are the rest of the top 10:

"Old" ($2.4 million)

"Black Widow" ($1.9 million)

"Stillwater" ($1.3 million)

"The Green Knight" ($1.2 million)

"Space Jam: A New Legacy" ($1.1 million)