NEW YORK 鈥� Not since 鈥淎vatar鈥� has a box-office hit had the kind of staying power of 鈥淏lack Panther.鈥� Ryan Coogler鈥檚 comic-book sensation on Sunday became the first film since James Cameron鈥檚 2009 smash to top the weekend box office five straight weekends.
The Disney release grossed $27 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates, pushing its domestic haul to $605.4 million. Worldwide, 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� has grossed more than $1.1 billion.
Though 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� has had little competition to contend with throughout February and March, such consistency is especially rare in today鈥檚 movie-going world. Before 鈥淎vatar,鈥� the last film to do it was 1999鈥檚 鈥淭he Sixth Sense.鈥�
That left second place to the MGM-Warner Bros.鈥� rebooted 鈥淭omb Raider,鈥� starring Alicia Vikander as the archaeologist adventurer Lara Croft. The $90 million film opened with $23.5 million, largely failing to stir much excitement among moviegoers. Critics gave it mediocre reviews (49 per cent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and ticket-buyers responded with a 鈥渕eh,鈥� giving it a B CinemaScore.
With Vikander stepping in for Angelina Jolie, Roar Uthaug鈥檚 鈥淭omb Raider鈥� is an attempt to rekindle a video game-adapted franchise that faded quickly the first time around. The 2001 original opened $47.7 million and grossed $274.7 million worldwide, but the big-budget 2003 sequel flopped, opening with $21.8 million domestically and grossing $156.5 million worldwide.
Jeff Goldstein, distribution chief for Warner Bros., said 鈥淭omb Raider鈥� came close to studio expectations in North America but that international ticket sales were a primary focus. 鈥淭omb Raider鈥� was no. 1 overseas, grossing $84.5 million, including a $41.1 million in China.
鈥淚nternational was always a key part of the strategy,鈥� Goldstein said.
Of course, the continuing success of 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� also didn鈥檛 help 鈥淭omb Raider.鈥� When release dates were being set a year ago, few could have foreseen 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� no. 1 five weeks in. 鈥淗ow could you?鈥� Goldstein said.
鈥淏lack Panther鈥� has shown considerably fewer legs in China, however. Though it has grossed $96 million in two weeks of release in China, 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� slid steeply in its second weekend.
Yet last week, 鈥淏lack Panther鈥� even bested Disney鈥檚 own 鈥淎 Wrinkle in Time,鈥� Ava DuVernay鈥檚 adaptation of Madeleine L鈥橢ngle鈥檚 1962 novel of the same name. In its second week, 鈥淎 Wrinkle in Time鈥� dropped 50 per cent with $16.6 million in ticket sales.
The surprise of the weekend was the Lionsgate-Roadside Attractions Christian drama 鈥淚 Can Only Imagine,鈥� which grossed $17.1 million on 1,629 screens 鈥� less than half the number that 鈥淏lack Panther,鈥� 鈥漈omb Raider鈥� and 鈥滱 Winkle in Time鈥� played on. The film, which co-stars Dennis Quaid and Cloris Leachman, cost only $7 million to make. It stars J. Michael Finley as the singer behind one of the most popular Christian songs, by the band MercyMe.
鈥淚 Can Only Imagine鈥� doubled expectations by sticking to the typical tactic of 鈥渇aith-based鈥� releases with a grassroots marketing effort that focused on Southern, Southwestern and suburban moviegoers. Eighty per cent of the audience was over 35.
It鈥檚 the biggest opening weekend ever for Roadside Attractions, the 15-year-old indie distributor whose previous titles include 鈥淢ud鈥� and 鈥淢anchester by the Sea.鈥�
鈥淲e did really work the film. Starting with the beginning of October, we were screening the film for faith-based influencers,鈥� said Roadside co-founder Howard Cohen. 鈥淪o it had a really classic playbook for these type of movies. But a lot of movies do it and it doesn鈥檛 work as well.鈥�
Playing to a virtually opposite audience was 20th Century Fox鈥檚 鈥淟ove, Simon,鈥� the first film from a major Hollywood studio featuring a gay teen protagonist. Whereas 鈥淚 Can Only Imagine鈥� catered to the suburbs, 鈥淟ove, Simon鈥� thrived mainly in urban areas.
Greg Berlanti鈥檚 film, adapted from the bestselling young-adult novel 鈥淪imon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda,鈥� stars Nick Robinson as a gay 17-year-old who has yet to come out when another closeted boy from his high school begins an anonymous email romance. The film garnered strong reviews (91 per cent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences agreed, giving it an A-plus CinemaScore.
鈥淚 feel good that we released this film. I feel great that we had the kind of exit polls that we did,鈥� said Chris Aronson, distribution chief for Fox. 鈥淚 think audiences are going to continue to find this jewel of a film that Greg Berlanti created.鈥�
According to comScore, the weekend was down 50 per cent from the same weekend in 2017 when Disney鈥檚 鈥淏eauty and the Beast鈥� opened with a record-breaking $174.8 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers also are included. Final three-day domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淏lack Panther,鈥� $27 million ($30 million international).
2. 鈥淭omb Raider,鈥� $23.5 million ($84.5 million international).
3. 鈥淚 Can Only Imagine,鈥� $17.1 million.
4. 鈥淎 Wrinkle in Time,鈥� $16.6 million.
5. 鈥淟ove, Simon,鈥� $11.5 million.
6. 鈥淕ame Night,鈥� $5.6 million.
7. 鈥淧eter Rabbit,鈥� $5.2 million.
8. 鈥淪trangers: Prey at Night,鈥� $4.8 million.
9. 鈥淩ed Sparrow,鈥� $4.5 million.
10. 鈥淒eath Wish,鈥� $3.4 million.
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