Lawrence’s Red Sparrow is no match for Black Panther

LOS ANGELES — The Twentieth Century Fox thriller “Red Sparrow” flew low at the domestic box office over the weekend, collecting an estimated $17 million and becoming the third lacklustre opening in a row for Jennifer Lawrence.

“Red Sparrow,” starring Lawrence as a Russian intelligence operative who specializes in sexual manipulation, ran into stronger-thanexpected competition from “Black Panther,” which remained a huge No. 1 at North American theatres in its third weekend.

“Black Panther” (Disney) collected about $65.7 million, for a new domestic total of $501.1 million; worldwide ticket sales now stand at roughly $900 million.

But the R-rated “Red Sparrow,” which cost Fox at least $100 million to make and market, divided critics and received a lukewarm B grade from ticket buyers in CinemaScore exit polls.

“Red Sparrow” had the hardest time attracting young adults; 79 per cent of its audience was over the age of 25, according to Fox.

Lawrence, one of Hollywood’s most popular and highest-paid actresses, was last seen in Darren Aronofsky’s “Mother!”

Released in the fall by Paramount, “Mother!” failed in wide release.

Before that, Lawrence costarred with Chris Pratt in Sony’s expensive “Passengers,” which arrived to a wobbly $14.9 million in 2016. Sony ultimately pushed “Passengers” to about $100 million in domestic ticket sales.

The weekend’s other new wide-release movie, “Death Wish” (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer), sold an estimated $13 million in tickets, according to comScore, which compiles box office data.

A remake of the 1974 movie of the same name, “Death Wish,” starring Bruce Willis, cost at least $30 million to produce and received withering reviews.

The film, which celebrates a vigilante shooter, arrived in the wake of the school massacre in Parkland, Fla.

Some people complained on social media that trailers advertising “Death Wish” continued to run in theatres.