NEW YORK — During a relatively quiet weekend at the box office, DreamWorks Animation’s “Dog Man” once again secured its position as the leading film.
The Universal Pictures release, adapted from the acclaimed graphic novel series by Dav Pilkey, garnered an estimated $13.7 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio projections. Both newcomers, the action film “Love Hurts” starring Ke Huy Quan and the slasher film themed around Valentine’s Day, “Heart Eyes,” closely followed “Dog Man.”
Hollywood typically steers clear of major releases during Super Bowl weekend, opting instead to focus its promotional efforts on the events leading up to the game. This strategy often results in prioritizing TV spots over theatrical opening weekends. Last year was a prime example, as Apple debuted its much-criticized film “Argylle” during this same period.
While “Dog Man” maintained the top spot, it experienced a notable decline in ticket sales, plunging 62% in its second weekend. With a production budget of $40 million, however, the film has already raked in $54.1 million domestically within just two weeks.
Taking the second spot was Spyglass Media Group’s “Heart Eyes,” distributed by Sony. This horror-romantic comedy hybrid collected $8.5 million from 3,102 locations. Although reviews have been generally favorable for the film, directed by Josh Ruben and featuring Oliva Holt and Mason Gooding, audience reception was less enthusiastic, reflected by a “B-” CinemaScore. The film was produced for $18 million.
In third place, “Love Hurts,” the action-comedy from 87North Productions, which is known for films like “John Wick” and “The Fall Guy,” managed only $5.8 million from 3,055 theaters. This film marks the first major role for Ke Huy Quan since his Oscar win for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” where he portrays a realtor with a mysterious past. Co-starring Ariana DeBose, the film also had a modest budget of $18 million, but received a lukewarm response from audiences, who gave it a “C+” CinemaScore.
Looking ahead, the upcoming weekend is anticipated to be the most lucrative for Hollywood this year, featuring the releases of Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World” alongside Sony’s “Paddington in Peru.”
Final domestic figures will be released soon, but preliminary estimates for ticket sales from Friday to Sunday in U.S. and Canadian theaters, as reported by Comscore, are:
1. “Dog Man,” $13.7 million.
2. “Heart Eyes,” $8.5 million.
3. “Love Hurts,” $5.8 million.
4. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $3.9 million.
5. “Companion,” $3 million.
6. “One of Them Days,” $3 million.
7. “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” $2.6 million.
8. “Flight Risk,” $2.6 million.
9. “Sonic the Hedgehog,” $1.8 million.
10. “Moana 3,” $1.5 million.
