‘Girls Trip’ Box Office Breaks R-Rated Comedy Curse, Proves Power of Diversity

For decades, Hollywood studios have operated on the premise that a film featuring a black cast wouldn’t necessarily reach and play to a wider audience.

But moviegoers are taking matters into their own hands, challenging that assumption and proving Hollywood wrong. The latest example came over the weekend as Universal’s critical darling Girls Trip opened to a rousing $30.4 million — the best start for an R-rated comedy in two years and the best showing for any live-action comedy so far this year. The movie achieved those distinctions because it appealed to an array of audiences: African-Americans made up 51 percent of ticket buyers, followed by Caucasians at 38 percent, according to industry leader PostTrak.