Ant-Man and the Wasp buzz into first!
Marvel's smallest heroes had a sizeable opening weekend as ANT-MAN AND THE WASP premiered on top at the box office with an estimated $76 million!
Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly's diminutive duo got a stronger start than ANT-MAN's solo debut, which opened with $57.2 million in 2015 before finishing with $180.2 million domestic and $519 million worldwide.
But the pair and their shrinking/growing exploits couldn't compare to Marvel's other offerings of 2018 — BLACK PANTHER started with a staggering $202 million in February and the all-star AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR had a record-crushing $257 million first weekend. (In fact, aside from the first ANT-MAN it's the lowest-opening Marvel release since THOR, which started with $65.7 million back in 2011.)
Director Peyton Reed's second time around with the Pym-powered protagonists also flew away with $85 million from international audiences for a worldwide opening of $161 million (the PG-13 action-comedy cost a reported $160 million).
Critics were happy for some upbeat costumed antics after the devastation of INFINITY WAR, giving the sequel an 86% average on Rotten Tomatoes. The JoBlo review can be found HERE.
There were more costumed champions in second place as INCREDIBLES 2 held the position from last week with $29 million. On its fourth weekend, Pixar's super-family sequel has surged past a half-billion domestic (the first of the studio's releases to cross that barrier), and has collected a worldwide total of $772.7 million.
JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM slipped down to third with $28.5 million after reigning over the chart for two weekends. The $170 million dinosaur sequel has stomped to $333.3 million domestic and $1.05 billion worldwide.
Opening in fourth place was the new prequel THE FIRST PURGE with a $17.1 million weekend, and a $31 million domestic total since it first started purging on the 4th of July.
The bloody R-rated thriller had the slowest start of the series, behind the shocking $34 million opening of the original THE PURGE in 2013, and the respective $29.8 million and $31.5 million openings of sequels ANARCHY and ELECTION YEAR.
The yearly murder spree also gathered $10.1 million overseas for a $41.9 million worldwide total. The latest in Blumhouse's franchise of cathartic violence cost a reported $13 million (compared to the frugal $3 million budget of the first movie, and the $9 million and $10 million costs of the sequels).
The origins of the annual lawless celebration didn't enthuse critics, who gave it an average of 52% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unleash your aggressions with the JoBlo review HERE.
In fifth place was the Josh Brolin/Benicio Del Toro sequel SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO with $7.3 million, losing 61% from its opening last weekend. The R-rated action-thriller has a ten-day domestic total of $35.3 million (on a reported cost of $35 million).
UNCLE DREW was in sixth place with $6.6 million, slowing by 56% from last week's opening. The PG-13 basketball comedy, which cost a reported $17 million, has dribbled to a ten-day domestic total of $29.9 million.
Heist spinoff OCEAN'S 8 was in seventh with $5.2 million over its fifth weekend in theaters. Sandra Bullock's criminal crew has stolen $126.7 million domestic and $236.8 million worldwide (on a reported $70 million cost).
Towards the bottom was the R-rated comedy TAG with $3.1 million, the still-expanding Mr. Rogers documentary WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? with $2.5 million (now on 893 screens) and the merc-with-a-mouth sequel DEADPOOL 2 with $1.6 million.
Outside the chart, the Ron Howard-directed prequel SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY finished the Kessel Run with $210 million domestic and $379 million worldwide.
In limited release, the new sci-fi comedy SORRY TO BOTHER YOU made an impression with a $44k per-screen average at 16 locations. Critics applauded the ambitious weirdness with a 94% average on Rotten Tomatoes (the JoBlo review is HERE).
Additionally, the new Whitney Houston documentary WHITNEY was released onto 452 screens for a $1.2 million weekend.
Next week, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tries to escape the SKYSCRAPER, Adam Sandler's animated vampire returns in HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION, and SORRY TO BOTHER YOU adds a few hundred screens.
What is your favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel? VOTE HERE!
| # | MOVIE TITLE | WKND $ | TOTAL $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ant-Man and the Wasp | $76 M | NEW |
| 2 | Incredibles 2 | $29 M | $504.3 M |
| 3 | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | $28.5 M | $333.3 M |
| 4 | The First Purge | $17.1 M | $31 M |
| 5 | Sicario: Day of the Soldado | $7.3 M | $35.3 M |
| 6 | Ocean's 8 | $5.2 M | $126.7 M |
| 7 | Uncle Drew | $6.6 M | $29.9 M |
| 8 | Tag | $3.1 M | $48.3 M |
| 9 | Won't You Be My Neighbor? | $2.5 M | $12.3 M |
| 10 | Deadpool 2 | $1.6 M | $314.5 M |