Black Panther slashes records!
Marvel's Wakandan warrior pounced into theaters this weekend and gave BLACK PANTHER a record-setting box office debut with an estimated opening of $192 million!
That astonishing figure is the biggest February opening ever, effortlessly slicing through the $132.4 million start of previous champ DEADPOOL (BLACK PANTHER collected $25.2 million of its total just from Thursday night previews). It also marks the biggest holiday opening, and is expected to take in $218 million over the four-day President's Day weekend.
BLACK PANTHER's opening is the second-biggest Marvel premiere behind only the $207.4 million first weekend of THE AVENGERS (the character's first appearance in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR launched with $179 million). In fact, aside from the aforementioned assembly of MCU heavy-hitters, T'Challa and his colleagues had the best opening of any other comic book adaptation in history.
The African hero's first solo adventure from CREED director Ryan Coogler is also the fifth-biggest domestic opening behind STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS ($247.9 million), STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI ($220 million), JURASSIC WORLD ($208.8 million) and the THE AVENGERS ($207.4 million).
Additionally, Chadwick Boseman's vibranium-suited king grabbed $169 million from international audiences for a worldwide opening of $361 million (on a rumored cost of $200 million).
Nearly all critics cheered the citizens of the extravagant technological nation, giving the movie a 97% average on Rotten Tomatoes. You can check out the JoBlo reviews HERE and HERE.
Animated animal PETER RABBIT retained second place with $17.2 million, hopping down only 31% from its opening last weekend. The furry rascal's quarrel with Domhnall Gleeson has a ten-day domestic total of $48.2 million (on a reported cost $50 million).
R-rated romance FIFTY SHADES FREED was bound in third place with $16.9 million, losing 56% of business from last weekend's chart-topping opening. The $55 million sequel has a ten-day domestic total of $76.1 million and a worldwide total of $270 million.
JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE held onto fourth place with $7.9 million, keeping its firm grip in the Top 5 for a ninth consecutive weekend. The $90 million adventure sequel has a domestic total of $377.6 million and has also now crossed $900 million worldwide.
Director Clint Eastwood's dramatization of real-life terrorist attack THE 15:17 TO PARIS was in fifth place with $7.6 million, slowing by 39% from its opening last week for a ten-day domestic total of $25.4 million, plus another $10.7 million from other territories for a $36.1 million global total (on a $30 million reported cost).
The Hugh Jackman circus musical THE GREATEST SHOWMAN continued to captivate crowds in sixth with $5.1 million, bringing it to $154.4 million domestic and topping the $151 million finish of 2016's hit musical LA LA LAND.
Opening in seventh place was the new PG-rated animated feature EARLY MAN with $3.1 million.
Despite voice talent from Tom Hiddleston, Eddie Redmayne and Maisie Williams, the last Aardman stop-motion effort couldn't draw much attention away from the existing competition and the new superhero on the block. The claymation caveman comedy cost a reported $50 million.
Critics mostly enjoyed the prehistoric humor from the WALLACE AND GROMIT creative team, giving it an 81% average on Rotten Tomatoes (the JoBlo review is HERE).
In eighth place was post-apocalyptic sequel MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE with $2.5 million, taking it to $54 million domestic and $259 million worldwide. Supernatural horror movie WINCHESTER followed in ninth with $2.2 million for a domestic total of $21.8 million.
Biblical strongman SAMSON opened at the bottom of the list with $1.9 million on 1250 screens. The low-budget religious fable (featuring the likes of Billy Zane and Rutger Hauer) has a current critical average of 27% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Outside the chart, THE SHAPE OF WATER swam away with Steven Spielberg's THE POST and crime-thriller DEN OF THIEVES.
Next weekend has Alex Garland's sci-fi adaptation ANNIHILATION and the R-rated Jason Bateman/Rachel McAdams comedy GAME NIGHT.
Who is your favorite hero of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? VOTE HERE!
| # | MOVIE TITLE | WKND $ | TOTAL $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Panther | $192 M | NEW |
| 2 | Peter Rabbit | $17.2 M | $48.2 M |
| 3 | Fifty Shades Freed | $16.9 M | $76.1 M |
| 4 | Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | $7.9 M | $377.6 M |
| 5 | The 15:17 to Paris | $7.6 M | $25.4 M |
| 6 | Early Man | $3.1 M | NEW |
| 7 | The Greatest Showman | $5.1 M | $154.4 M |
| 8 | Maze Runner: The Death Cure | $2.5 M | $54 M |
| 9 | Winchester | $2.2 M | $21.8 M |
| 10 | Samson | $1.9 M | NEW |