In a shocking turn of events, a movie dedicated largely to pop culture nostalgia is the No. 1 film in America. Who knew?! Though early estimates had frightened some into thinking Ready Player One might only make truckloads of money, it’s been confirmed that the film is in fact making boatloads of it. The ode to stuff you liked as a kid is on track to pull in over $52.3 million, or over $30 million more than what second place finisher Acrimony is expected to earn.
An early Thursday release and some positive buzz may be a reason for the film’s success. As well as all the people who are flocking to the theater to find a bit of escape from their extremely type-A cousin’s rigidly regulated Easter-egg hunt, or that Passover seder that got weirdly political really fast. And now we’re probably looking at Ready Player One becoming a franchise, until every last dollar is squeezed out of every nice memory you have.