M. Night Shyamalan's highly anticipated sequel to Split and Unbreakable finally hit theaters, and Forbes reports that it managed to pull in respectable numbers on opening day. Glass—which stars Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, and James McAvoy— opened with $16 million, up from Split's $14.6 million opening.
The film is expected to pull in a $50.3 million four-day debut, finishing the MLK weekend at No. 1, according to Box Office Mojo. The earnings might be considered a win because of Glass' reported $20 million budget, but the projections fall on the lower end of Universal's predictions, according to Deadline. But as Deadline also points out, Glass' debut makes it the second-best Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend opening, taking in just half of what 2015's surprise megahit American Sniper took in at $107.2 million.
Glass hasn't faired as well critically, sitting at 35 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. On the other hand, Split was certified fresh at a mostly positive 76 percent, his biggest critical success since 1999's The Sixth Sense. Split was also a surprise to many because it revealed itself to be a sequel to Shyamalan's 2000 cult classic Unbreakable in its closing moments. Shyamalan announced plans for Glass almost immediately following Split's success. While Glass could be impacted by the muted critical response, it's too early to say whether the film can be considered a failure or a success.
