‘Panther’ bests all rivals again
Marvel’s comic book juggernaut “Black Panther” continues to crush the box office and the record books.
The Disney blockbuster added $27 million to its domestic earnings over the weekend, raising its total to $605.4 million, according to figures from measurement firm ComScore.
“Black Panther” is the first picture to spend five consecutive weekends at No. 1 since “Avatar” in 2009. It is also only the seventh movie to cross the $600-million mark in the U.S. and is on track to top the $623-million domestic take of “The Avengers,” which would make it the highest-grossing comic book film in U.S. box office history.
Warner Bros.’ “Tomb Raider” reboot debuted at No. 2, earning $23.5 million.
The film, which stars Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, earned a B on CinemaScore and a 49% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Roadside Attraction’s faith-based movie “I Can Only Imagine” opened at No. 3 with $17 million.
The picture exceeded all expectations, posting the best opening for a Christian film since Fox’s “Son of God” and Sony’s “Heaven Is for Real” each topped $20 million in 2014.
Starring Dennis Quaid and J. Michael Finley, the film follows the lead singer of the Christian band MercyMe during his process of writing “I Can Only Imagine,” the most played radio hit in Christian music history. It earned mixed reviews from audiences and critics, with an A-plus on CinemaScore and a 58% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In fourth place, Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” now in its second week, added $16.6 million to its earnings, for a cumulative $61 million.
Rounding out the top five, Fox’s “Love, Simon” debuted to $11.5 million. An LGBTQ coming-of-age tale, the movie was popular among audiences and critics, earning an A plus on CinemaScore and a 91% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sony’s “Peter Rabbit,” finishing seventh.
Additionally, Sony’s “Jumanji,” which came in at No. 12, managed to cross the $400-million mark after 13 weeks in theaters. This is also the first time the film has fallen out of the top 10 since its opening Dec. 20.
In limited release, Focus Features opened the thriller “7 Days in Entebbe” in 838 theaters, with $1.6 million.
The Orchard opened the teen comedy drama “Flower” in three locations with $57,851.