In a quiet weekend at the box office, existing films maintained their dominance while new releases struggled to make an impact. “Deadpool & Wolverine” reclaimed the top spot at the North American box office in its fifth weekend, earning $18.3 million. The film’s total international earnings have now surpassed $1.2 billion. The Walt Disney Co., which owns 20th Century Studios, secured the top two spots for the second consecutive weekend with “Alien: Romulus” coming in second with $16.2 million and “Inside Out 2” holding steady in third place with $2.1 million in its 11th weekend, bringing its global earnings to over $1.6 billion. Analysts noted Disney’s remarkable comeback in light of the challenges faced during the pandemic.
Romantic drama “It Ends With Us” remained in third place for the second week in a row, earning $11.9 million. The Sony film, starring Blake Lively and directed by Justin Baldoni, has amassed $242.6 million globally on a production budget of $25 million. The new releases faced stiff competition from established films, resulting in what analysts described as a sense of “box office déjà vu.”
“Blur Twice,” directed by Zoë Kravitz and starring Channing Tatum, opened in fourth place with $7.3 million. The psychological thriller from Amazon MGM Studios follows Tatum’s character as he takes two women to his private island, with dark secrets unraveling. Despite receiving a mixed reception from audiences, the film was certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 79%.
In fifth place was “The Forge,” a faith-based coming-of-age film that garnered $6.6 million in its opening weekend and earned an A+ CinemaScore from viewers. Another new release, “The Crow,” lagged behind in the rankings, while enduring titles like “Twisters” and “Coraline” continued to draw audiences. Lionsgate’s “The Crow,” adapted from a graphic novel and a remake of the 1994 film, opened with $4.6 million.
Notable holdovers like “Despicable Me 4” and “Inside Out 2” rounded out the top 10, demonstrating their enduring popularity with audiences. “Inside Out 2” has maintained its position as the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally. The box office numbers reflect estimated ticket sales from Friday through Sunday at theaters in the U.S. and Canada, with final figures set to be released on Monday.
