After Aquaman's Success, New DC Movie Shazam Has Big Opening Weekend

It appears the DC Extended Universe of films is back on track. After Batman v Superman disappointed audiences, 2017's Wonder Woman and 2018's Aquaman struck better chords and made a lot of money at the box office. The latest DCEU movie, Shazam, opened this weekend--and it, too, is doing well out of the gate.

The movie made $53.5 million in the US and Canada for its opening weekend, which represents a good start but of course not as strong as other, big DCEU films starring bigger and better-known characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Joker. It is the seventh movie in the DCEU.

Counting preview ticket sales, Shazam has made $56.8 million in the US and Canada, according to Entertainment Weekly, which supplied all the box office figures. Shazam was the No. 1 movie of the weekend in the US and Canada. Shazam has made more than $100 million so far from international markets, for a global total of around $158 million to date.

Shazam focuses on a young boy, Billy Batson (Asher Angel) who can turn into an adult superhero named Shazam by yelling "Shazam!" Zachary Levi plays Shazam. The movie also stars Adam Brody, Ron Cephas Jones, Mark Strong, and Djimon Hounsou. It was directed by David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation) off a script by Henry Gayden and Darren Lemke.

Elsewhere at the box office, the newest Stephen King movie, Pete Semetary, opened to $25 million, while another new release, The Best Enemies starring Sam Rockwell and Taraji P. Henson, opened at No. 6. You can see the full weekend box office report below, via EW.

April 5-7 US/Canada Box Office

1. Shazam! -- $53.5 million
2. Pet Sematary -- $25 million
3. Dumbo -- $18.2 million
4. Us -- $13.8 million
5. Captain Marvel -- $12.7 million
6. The Best of Enemies -- $4.5 million
7. Five Feet Apart -- $3.7 million
8. Unplanned -- $3.2 million
9. Wonder Park -- $2 million
10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World -- $2 million