Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story has a disappointing box office debut

Yet another 2021 movie musical has disappointed at the box office.

This time, it’s Steven Spielberg’s new West Side Story, which grossed an underwhelming $10.5 million this weekend. It was a soft start for a film that reportedly cost $100 million to make, and this was despite the fact that the movie drew strong reviews and is an early frontrunner in the Oscars’ Best Picture race. 

But this came after In the Heights, an adaptation of the musical from Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda, opened under expectations in June with $11.5 million. Like West Side StoryIn the Heights generated strong reviews and Oscar buzz. Dear Evan Hansen also disappointed in September after earning weak reviews, opening with just $7.4 million even though the Broadway show was a Tony-winning hit. 

Concerns over the Omicron variant of COVID-19 may have put a dent in West Side Story‘s opening weekend performance. But the film earning less than In the Heights in its debut was still a surprise considering it was a more well-known musical from a beloved director, and unlike In the Heights, it didn’t have a simultaneous streaming release. 

West Side Story was also another non-franchise film to struggle at the box office in 2021. Since theaters reopened, tentpole action and adventure films like Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings have performed well, and Spider-Man: No Way Home is expected to do big business next weekend. But a number of more adult-oriented movies, including The Last Duel and King Richard, have had a harder time getting moviegoers to turn out. 

It remains possible strong word of mouth for West Side Story will allow it to pick up steam at the box office throughout the holiday season. But some experts had similar hopes for In the Heights, yet this never came to pass, as that film left theaters having grossed less than $30 million domestically. 

Yet another 2021 movie musical has disappointed at the box office. This time, it’s Steven Spielberg’s new West Side Story, which grossed an underwhelming $10.5 million this weekend. It was a soft start for a film that reportedly cost $100 million to make, and this was despite the fact that the movie drew strong reviews and…

Yet another 2021 movie musical has disappointed at the box office. This time, it’s Steven Spielberg’s new West Side Story, which grossed an underwhelming $10.5 million this weekend. It was a soft start for a film that reportedly cost $100 million to make, and this was despite the fact that the movie drew strong reviews and…