‘Lilo & Stitch’ Beats ‘Ballerina’ at Box Office as ‘John Wick’ Spinoff Debuts to $25 Million

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The movie featuring a ballerina didn’t manage to spin its way to box office success. The “John Wick” spinoff, starring Ana de Armas as a dancer-turned-assassin, opened with slightly lower than expected earnings of $25 million in 3,409 North American theaters.

In a surprising turn of events, the adult-rated movie debuted in second position, trailing behind “Lilo & Stitch” from Disney, which maintained its reign at the top for the third week running with a whopping $32.5 million haul from 4,185 theaters. With earnings totaling $335.8 million domestically and an additional $772 million internationally, this live-action adaptation is poised to break the billion-dollar mark soon, making it the first such release of the year.

The film titled “Ballerina” made a relatively low $26 million at foreign box offices, totaling $51 million globally to start. Originally, Lionsgate anticipated a domestic opening of $30 million for “Ballerina.” However, this would still be considered average since the movie cost $90 million to produce. Lionsgate usually covers two-thirds of their production costs through international sales to help cover underperforming films. They hope that “Ballerina” will launch a series of “John Wick” spinoffs, as they aim to establish a substantial, interconnected cinematic universe. Yet, they need audiences to engage with the series without Keanu Reeves, who has portrayed the lead character in four movies, being the main attraction.

Regardless of good audience ratings (the film received an “A-” on CinemaScore exit polls) and favorable reviews (75% on Rotten Tomatoes), the movie “Ballerina” didn’t seem to entice many fans of the “John Wick” series to leave their homes and go to the cinema. The studio made efforts to engage “Wick-heads,” by giving the film the lengthy title of “From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,” which highlighted its connection to the franchise without exaggerating Keanu Reeves’ role. However, in “Ballerina,” it’s not Reeves who takes center stage but Ana de Armas, known for her roles in “No Time to Die” and “Knives Out.

According to analyst David A. Gross from Franchise Entertainment Research, the beginning of this action thriller spin-off is not very compelling. Although the audience appears excited about the film, they’re not showing up in large enough numbers at the theater.

Given that “Ballerina” isn’t a continuation of the “John Wick” saga and introduces a new character, Eve Macarro, played by Ana de Armas, it’s not surprising that its initial box office earnings were significantly lower than the main series. Compared to the $14 million opening of the original 2014 “John Wick,” the franchise has seen impressive growth with “John Wick: Chapter 2” (2017) earning $30.4 million, “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” (2019) launching with $56.8 million, and “John Wick: Chapter 4” (2023) setting a series record of $73.8 million. The studio intends to expand the cinematic universe further with “John Wick 5,” as well as a spinoff centered around Donnie Yen‘s character Caine and an animated prequel film.

In other box office rankings, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” slipped down to the third position with a weekend earnings of $15 million from 3,496 theaters. This is its third week on screen. As part of Tom Cruise’s 29-year-old action series, this is the eighth installment. So far, it has made $149 million in North America and a worldwide total of $450 million. However, with a budget of $400 million, “The Final Reckoning” may struggle to turn a profit during its cinematic run.

Finishing fourth, “Karate Kid: Legends” saw a significant drop of 58% in its second week at the box office, earning $8.7 million compared to its initial $21 million opening. This action sequel, being the first new cinematic addition to the franchise in 15 years, has currently made $35 million domestically and $74 million worldwide.

In its fourth release, “Final Destination: Bloodlines” secured a spot among the top five earners with a total of $6.4 million from 2,867 cinemas. As the sixth movie in the extended horror series by Warner Bros. and New Line, this film surpassed its predecessors with an impressive $123 million gross in North America alone, and a staggering $257 million worldwide.

6th place went to Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme,” earning $6.2 million across 1,678 cinemas after a weekend in expanded release. Following its initial limited release, the film has amassed a total of $6.5 million. Known for movies like “Moonrise Kingdom,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” and “The Royal Tenenbaums,” Anderson is popular among film enthusiasts. However, audiences seemed less enthused about “The Phoenician Scheme.” The majority of ticket buyers – 56% male and 59% under 34 years old – gave the movie a disappointing “B-” grade on CinemaScore surveys. Focus Features is distributing this espionage thriller, which features Benicio del Toro, newcomer Mia Threapleton, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Following the weekend, overall box office earnings are currently 26% higher than last year but remain 27% lower compared to 2019, as reported by Comscore. Over the upcoming weeks, Universal’s live-action “How to Train Your Dragon,” Sony’s “28 Years Later,” Disney’s Pixar adventure “Elio,” and Brad Pitt’s racing drama “F1” are set to close out June. This is before Universal’s “Jurassic World,” the Warner Bros. and DC epic “Superman,” Paramount’s “Smurfs,” and Disney and Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” hit theaters in July. Will these potential blockbusters be able to set a new post-pandemic record for summer box office earnings?

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2025-06-08 18:21