‘Captain America’ Dominates Box Office Over Oscars Weekend

In Los Angeles this past weekend, “Captain America: Brave New World” continued to dominate a lackluster box office, even as it experienced a significant decline in viewership. The Disney-Marvel film, starring Anthony Mackie, managed to bring in another $15 million, according to studio estimates released on Sunday, during a weekend when much of Hollywood’s spotlight was on the Oscars.

Upon its debut the previous month, “Captain America: Brave New World” saw a strong opening with around $120 million over a three-day weekend. However, it experienced a rapid drop to $28.2 million the following week, marking one of the sharpest second-week declines in Marvel’s cinematic history. Despite this, the film’s total earnings have reached $163.7 million since its release. Critics and audiences were largely disappointed, as the film failed to deliver the Marvel franchise revival that many had hoped for. The responsibility for rejuvenating the brand now lies with the upcoming May release, “Thunderbolts,” and July’s “Fantastic Four: First Steps.” Regardless, “Captain America” is likely to maintain its top position at the box office until more formidable competition appears later in the year.

The weekend’s notable new release, “Last Breath” by Focus Features, earned a modest $7.8 million. This film, inspired by true events and starring Woody Harrelson, Simi Liu, and Chris Lemons, details a deep-sea diving mission that takes a perilous turn when a young diver becomes trapped 300 feet underwater. The adventure story has been received warmly by critics, with one reviewer highlighting the film’s ability to convey “pure suspense and anxiety.”

Following in third place was Oz Perkins’ film “The Monkey,” which garnered $6.4 million, bringing its two-week cumulative total to $24.6 million. Produced by the indie distributor Neon, this title ranks among the company’s strongest openings to date, outperforming expectations. Neon has a promising track record, having achieved significant success with their previous film “Longlegs,” which grossed $126.9 million globally.

“Paddington in Peru” secured the fourth spot, earning $4.5 million during its third weekend, pushing its total to $31.4 million.

Rounding out the top ten movies in terms of domestic box office earnings, here are the estimates for ticket sales from Friday through Sunday at theaters across the United States and Canada, as reported by Comscore:
1. “Captain America: Brave New World,” $15 million.
2. “Last Breath,” $7.8 million.
3. “The Monkey,” $6.4 million.
4. “Paddington in Peru,” $4.5 million.
5. “Dog Man,” $4.2 million.
6. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $1.9 million.
7. “Ne Zha 2,” $1.8 million.
8. “Heart Eyes,” $1.3 million.
9. “The Unbreakable Boy,” $1.2 million.
10. “One of Them Days,” $925,000.