Surprise! While Killers of the Flower Moon gave Martin Scorsese top spot at the US box office, one surprise international hit has topped both the legendary director and Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour at the worldwide box office.
Variety reports that Tamil-language movie Leo, starring box office phenomenon Vijay in his 67th movie as lead, grossed $48.5 million at the box office this weekend, though did have the bonus of a four-day opening. Deadline is a little cooler on the box office tracking, reporting that Comscore estimates have it between $43.9 million and $48.5 million.
Inspired by David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence, Leo revolves around Parthi (Vijay), a cafe owner with a killer past who becomes embroiled in a drug smuggling war.
For those curious, Leo could be set to hit Netflix soon. The Hindustan Times previously reported that the streamer has the "digital rights" to the film.
Killers of the Flower Moon marked an undoubted success for Scorsese; its $44 million opening was the director’s second highest ever behind 2010’s Shutter Island.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ and other assembled press at the London Film Festival, Scorsese revealed how he became "fascinated" by the love story between Leonardo DiCaprio’s Ernest and Lily Gladstone’s Mollie in the midst of Osage Nation murders.
"I became fascinated by it because of the love story between Leo [DiCaprio] and Lily's [Gladstone] characters, Ernest and Mollie. I just thought that with all that's going on, these two people were so in love. And yet, do they really know each other?" Scorsese ponders. "Especially in a relationship like that, with their marriage and their children, she trusts him so much. He loves her but circumstances and a kind of special way of thinking, so to speak, which puts other people in inferior positions – this takes over."
