It takes a lot to sell a movie to adult audiences these days, especially one that doesn't feature A-listers. Even Steven Soderbergh's Black Bag struggled commercially, despite the involvement of Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, and near-unanimous praise from critics. But Disney seems to have done it with The Amateur. Less than a week into its theatrical run, the espionage thriller is set to out-gross Soderbergh's movie, and has managed to push star Rami Malek's career box office haul past a majestic mark. The Amateur opened with $15 million in its debut weekend domestically, and a little over $30 million worldwide.

It has now passed the $35 million mark at the global box office, against a reported budget of around $60 million. Black Bag also cost about as much, but received significantly superior reviews. It's Soderbergh's highest-rated film on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, having settled at a 96% score. The Amateur, on the other hand,...