*Courtesy of Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images.*

Warner Bros scored a major win for original storytelling this Easter weekend as ‘Sinners,’ the studio’s vampire thriller directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, claimed the top spot at the domestic box office with an estimated $45 million. The film narrowly surpassed the studio’s other release, ‘A Minecraft Movie,’ which is projected to earn around $41 million.

‘Sinners’ posted a stronger-than-expected Saturday gross of $16.2 million, marking just a 16% drop from its $19.2 million opening on Friday. Analysts had anticipated a steeper decline, forecasting a typical horror drop-off between 24% and 34%. In comparison, ‘Minecraft’ saw a Saturday total of $15.6 million, a modest 3% dip from Friday.

Audience interest remains high, with Saturday night’s 7:45 p.m. IMAX 70MM screening at AMC Universal CityWalk selling out, and Sunday night’s show nearing full capacity.

In a notable accolade, ‘Sinners’ is also the first horror film in more than three decades to earn a rare A grade from CinemaScore. That places it ahead of critically acclaimed genre peers such as ‘Get Out’ and ‘A Quiet Place Part II,’ both of which received A- ratings.

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