Clint Eastwood’s biopic J. Edgar, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the infamous head of the F.B.I., opened to $53,000 from seven theaters in key cities on Wednesday.
The mid-week limited bow is designed to build word of mouth, and trigger reviews, as the Warner Bros. movie prepares to open nationwide on Friday. Warner Bros. often debuts Eastwood’s films in select cities a week or several days before they go wide.
PHOTOS: ‘J. Edgar’ Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals
J. Edgar, also starring Armie Hammer, played in markets including Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C.
The film’s performance held its own in terms of theater average — $7,571 — with the Wednesday bow of Eastwood’s 2003 Mystic River, which debuted in 13 theaters to $98,766 for an average $7,597. And J. Edgar did almost as well as the limited bow of Eastwood’s Hereafter, which grossed $60,701 from six theaters and had the advantage of launching on a Friday, versus midweek.
