UPDATE, writethru: Warner Bros/New Line's James Wan-produced horror pic The Curse Of La Llorona haunted cinemas in 71 overseas markets this frame, opening to $30M at the international box office. Along with domestic, the global bow is $56.5M.

In many countries, the Easter weekend is bracketed by days off on the Friday …

4th Update, Sunday 10:17 AM Writethru: With chart As we were the first to say yesterday very early in the morning, it’s the lowest Easter weekend at the box office in well over a decade – actually, since 2003, per ComScore this morning (when it hit $107.1M), with the last three days totaling $110.8M in US/Canada…

Disney’s first Fox release under the combined regime, the faith-based DeVon Franklin produced Breakthrough notched second place in its opening day yesterday with an estimated $1.7M at 2,764 runs behind New Line/DC’s Shazam! which took No. 1 in his second Wednesday with $1.96M (-39% from Tuesday at 4,306) for a running…

UPDATE, writethru: A varied offering of holdover titles and a handful of new entries in staggered release, the international box office this weekend was led for the second frame in a row by Warner Bros/New Line/DC's Shazam!. The family-friendly superhero added $35.9M in the sophomore session and has now grossed $163.9M…

5th Update, Sunday AM: after Friday and Saturday posts:  New Line/DC’s Shazam! bulked up 74% on Saturday over Friday with $11M, putting its second weekend at $25.1M, -53%, for a 10-day of $94.9M. The DC superhero hero formerly known as Captain Marvel should cross $100M before Good Friday.

The weekend’s other comic book…

After opening to $159.1 million around the world this weekend at the box office, it’s not a shocker to hear that New Line/DC’s Shazam! is being primed for a sequel. Deadline has confirmed the pic’s original screenwriter Henry Gayden is returning to work on part 2, based on Bill Parker and C.C. Peck’s comic. Director…

SUNDAY UPDATE, writethru: Shazam! is the word at the international box office this weekend, with the Warner Bros/New Line/DC title striking past the $100M mark in its debut. On 40,000 screens in 79 offshore markets, the David F Sandberg-directed family superhero pic grossed $102M. The global opening is $158.6M when…

SUNDAY AM UPDATE: New Line/DC’s Shazam! posted a solid hold on Saturday of $19.75M, -4%, putting its opening weekend at $53.45M. Add those Fandango $3.3M paid previews from March 23 and the DC superhero who was originally known as Captain Marvel (really, he was) has a running total of $56.7M. Shazam! flew in ahead of…

FRIDAY MIDDAY: New Line/DC’s Shazam! is currently at this point in time looking at a $18.9M Friday, a 3-day of $49M and including previews a running total of $52.3M. Note late night business yesterday pushed its Thursday higher, so we might see the same again tonight, plus Saturday matinees, natch.

Paramount’s Pet Sema…

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains story details about Shazam!

It wasn’t that much of a surprise to pick David F. Sandberg as the director of the Warner Bros. adaptation of Shazam! The director is known mostly for his horror fare like Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation but his credits also include short comedy…

Shazam! opens in theaters nationwide Friday and although it is about a comic book film about a young boy who turns into a superhero every time he exclaims the word “SHAZAM!” He turns into a full grown man with superhuman strength, the ability to deflect bullets, can fly, is super fast and can shoot lightning from his…

Warner Bros.’ Fandango preview screening yesterday at 1,200 struck lightning with a $3.3M gross besting the paid-preview figures of DreamWorks Animation-Fandango preview of How to Train Your Dragon 3 ($2.6M),  Atom & Amazon’s WB preview of Aquaman ($2.9M), and Atom/Amazon’s previews of Sony’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Ju…