The Harriet biopic brought in $12 million in its first weekend in theaters, ending the weekend above expectations in fourth place at the box office, according to reports.
Starring ESSENCE’s November digital cover star, Cynthia Erivo, Harriet centers on Harriet Tubman, the abolitionist who led enslaved people to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Eve’s Bayou’s Kasi Lemmons directed the film, which also stars Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn and Janelle Monae.
It’s the first-ever biopic made about the American hero.
Older female moviegoers drove first weekend sale sales: 62% were women and 59% were over the age of 35, Variety reports. African Americans accounted for nearly 50% of ticket buyers, and with a rare A+ Cinemascore rating from audiences, the momentum surrounding the film is expected to grow with word of mouth.
In her interview with ESSENCE, Erivo said it was important for her to show the humanity behind such an iconic Black figure.
“I desperately wanted to show her as a woman. I don’t think we know enough about that. She was a fully realized woman who had love in her life and heartbreak and family she cared for and desperately wanted to be with,” she said. “That was what drove her.”
Catch the trailer below: