Weekend Box Office Report: February 23-25, 2018

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Black Panther continues its reign!

T'Challa is the king of more than just the advanced nation of Wakanda, as BLACK PANTHER once again ruled the box office this weekend with an estimated $108 million!

That represents a drop of 46% from last week's record-breaking opening, which marks the best second-weekend hold out of all eighteen releases in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Chadwick Boseman's warrior and his entourage of formidable women took advantage of the school vacation week (and overwhelmingly positive word-of-mouth) to climb up to a monstrous $400 million ten-day domestic total.

Director Ryan Coogler's vibrant African adventure currently has Marvel's fifth-highest domestic total, already passing last year's THOR: RAGNAROK ($314 million), SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING ($334 million) and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 ($389 million). Sights are now set on CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR ($408 million), IRON MAN 3 ($409 million) and AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON ($459 million), with the $623 million of THE AVENGERS as the distant leader.

Comparing to the recent Distinguished Competition at DC Comics, the vibranium-suited superhero has defeated domestic totals for JUSTICE LEAGUE ($228 million), MAN OF STEEL ($291 million), SUICIDE SQUAD ($325 million) and BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE ($330 million), and is now chasing WONDER WOMAN's $412 million finish. (Previous DC iterations THE DARK KNIGHT and THE DARK KNIGHT RISES remain ahead with $534 million and $448 million respectively).

BLACK PANTHER has also collected an additional $304 million from international audiences for a worldwide total of $704 million (on a rumored cost of $200 million).

Opening in second place was the R-rated comedy GAME NIGHT with $16.6 million.

The murder mystery with Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams cost a reported $37 million. Critics were happy to play along, giving it an 81% average on Rotten Tomatoes (the JoBlo review is HERE).

Hopping in third place was the PG-rated PETER RABBIT with $12.5 million on its third weekend in theaters. The $50 million animation/live-action hybrid has a domestic total of $71.2 million.

In fourth place was the new sci-fi movie ANNIHILATION with an opening of $11 million.

EX MACHINA writer-director Alex Garland's eerie adaptation of Jeff VanderMeer's bestselling novel cost a reported $55 million. (Rather than a theatrical release overseas, it will be available on Netflix next month for viewers in other territories.)

The R-rated ensemble thriller with Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson and Jennifer Jason Leigh received generally high praise from critics, who gave the first chapter of the Southern Reach Trilogy a strong 87% average on Rotten Tomatoes. The JoBlo review can be found HERE.

FIFTY SHADES FREED was tied up in fifth with $6.9 million, bringing the R-rated romance sequel to a domestic total of $89.5 million on its third weekend on screens. The closing chapter of now-married Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey has a worldwide total of $320 million on a reported $55 million cost. All in all, the trilogy based on E.L. James' books has secured $1.27 billion worldwide.

In sixth place was JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE with $5.6 million, still in the Top 10 after ten weeks with a $387.2 million domestic total and $920 million worldwide (on a $90 million reported cost).

Director Clint Eastwood's true terrorism tale THE 15:17 TO PARIS was chugging along in seventh with $3.6 million, arriving at a domestic total of $32.2 million and $45 million worldwide (on a reported cost of $30 million).

After two-and-a-half months, Hugh Jackman's ringleader THE GREATEST SHOWMAN was still singing and dancing to the tune of $3.4 million for eighth place. The $84 million circus musical now has $160.7 million domestic, and a worldwide total of $361 million.

Opening in ninth place was the new drama EVERY DAY with $3.1 million.

Based on David Levithan's popular book, the PG-13 teen romance with Angourie Rice (THE NICE GUYS) only cost a reported $5 million. Critics had mixed feelings for the love story with a 50% average on Rotten Tomatoes.

Closing out the list was the Aardman animated caveman comedy EARLY MAN with $1.7 million, down 46% from last week's opening for a ten-day domestic total of $6.7 million.

Outside the chart, MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE ran away with Steven Spielberg's THE POST and haunted house movie WINCHESTER.

Next weekend starts the new month with the Jennifer Lawrence spy movie RED SPARROW and Eli Roth's remake of DEATH WISH with Bruce Willis.

Which March release are you most interested in seeing? VOTE HERE!