‘SINNERS’ Sinks Teeth Into Box-Office With Strong Previews

Ryan Coogler’s Sinners grossed $4.7 million in Thursday night previews, a strong start for an R-rated vampire horror film. To put this in context, here’s how it compares to other vampire movies’ Thursday preview earnings, based on available data:

• Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992): Approximately $1.2 million in Thursday previews, adjusted for inflation to modern dollars. This was a different era with lower preview expectations, so Sinners significantly outperforms it.
• Interview with the Vampire (1994): Around $1.5 million in previews, again adjusted. Sinners more than triples this figure, reflecting the growth in preview culture and ticket prices.
• Underworld: Blood Wars (2017): Earned about $2 million in Thursday previews. Sinners more than doubles this, showing stronger initial interest.
• Morbius (2022): Grossed $5.7 million in Thursday previews. Sinners falls just short, but Morbius had the advantage of being a Marvel-adjacent IP with wider appeal.
• Renfield (2023): Pulled in $900,000 in previews. Sinners outperforms this by over five times, despite Renfield’s comedic angle and Nicolas Cage draw.
• The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023): Earned $750,000 in previews. Sinners’s $4.7 million dwarfs this, likely due to Coogler and Michael B. Jordan’s star power and critical buzz (97% on Rotten Tomatoes).
• Abigail (2024): Grossed $1 million in previews. Sinners quadruples this, suggesting a much stronger audience turnout.

Sinners’ $4.7 million is among the higher end for vampire films, especially for an original, non-franchise R-rated horror movie. It trails Morbius but surpasses most other recent vampire films, benefiting from Coogler’s reputation, Jordan’s draw, and a 99% Rotten Tomatoes score at the time of release. The film’s previews suggest a potential opening weekend of $40–50 million, competitive with Jordan Peele’s Nope ($6.4 million in previews, $44.3 million opening), though it faces challenges with its $90 million budget.

Vampire films often struggle to match the preview numbers of broader blockbusters due to niche appeal, but Sinners’ performance indicates crossover success, likely driven by its unique blend of horror, blues music, and social commentary. Data on older films is spottier, and not all vampire movies report preview figures, so comparisons are limited to these examples. If you want me to dig deeper into specific films or adjust for inflation further, let me know!