Box Office: ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Suffers 68% Drop in Second Weekend

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Despite having minimal competition during a quiet winter weekend, ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ isn’t gaining much traction at the box office.

Following a powerful box office debut of approximately $100 million during the extended Presidents Day weekend, I found myself contributing to the success of Disney and Marvel’s “Captain America: Brave New World.” However, in its second week, there was a significant drop of 68%, earning $28.3 million across 4,105 North American theaters. Despite this decrease, it continued to top the box office charts, amassing a domestic total of $141 million and a global haul of $289.4 million so far.

Typically, blockbuster comic book films like “Captain America” might see a decrease in ticket sales during subsequent weekends. However, this particular movie, which received unfavorable reviews and negative word-of-mouth, experienced a steeper decline compared to titles such as “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” or “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”. The film dropped by approximately 70% after its $106 million opening weekend, which is more akin to the decline of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” than that of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, whose drop was only 47% following a $118 million debut. Unlike “Guardians 3”, which held strong at the box office, “Ant Man 3” struggled to surpass the $500 million mark worldwide and didn’t make back its production costs during its theatrical run.

If “Captain America” chooses to be released after “Quantumania” instead of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” it might raise some worries for Disney, as their Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which was previously invincible, has shown some worrying signs since “Avengers: Endgame.” This is also a challenge for cinema owners, as there’s no major four-quadrant blockbuster scheduled until Disney’s “Snow White” reimagining on March 21.

In its initial weekend, “The Monkey,” a gripping horror film from Neon, secured the runner-up position with an impressive $14.2 million earnings across 3,200 North American cinemas. This is the second highest opening for Neon, surpassed only by last July’s “Longlegs” ($22.4 million), both of which were helmed by director Osgood Perkins.

Based on Stephen King’s 80’s short story ‘The Monkey’, a film about a haunted toy that leads to gruesome, unexpected deaths, has sparked controversy among viewers due to its graphic violence. Earning a ‘C+’ from CinemaScore, this rating might not be too surprising given that even the author himself described it as ‘crazy’ or ‘insane’. Starring Theo James, known for his role in ‘The White Lotus’, and Tatiana Maslany from ‘Orphan Black’, this movie is produced by horror maestro James Wan (known for ‘Saw’ and ‘The Conjuring’). With a budget of $10 million, ‘The Monkey’ has been brought to life.

Elissa Federoff, Neon’s chief distribution officer, stated that horror experts Osgood Perkins, James Wan, and Stephen King have fashioned an exhilarating rollercoaster ride filled with shocks. This production has redefined the horror genre, offering a lively, shared excitement for viewers nationwide. Our second project with Osgood allowed us to develop a promotional strategy that showcases the film’s enjoyment factor and the intense adrenaline rush audiences will feel in cinemas,” said Federoff.

In its debut, Lionsgate’s movie “The Unbreakable Boy” earned $2.5 million in the eighth spot at the box office, playing at 1,687 cinemas. The film, which stars Zachary Levi and focuses on a father-son relationship where the son is on the autism spectrum and has brittle bone disease, was better received by audiences than critics. On CinemaScore, it received an “A” rating, while Rotten Tomatoes gave it an average of 48%.

In its second weekend, Sony’s movie “Paddington in Peru,” the third installment about the beloved marmalade-loving bear, slipped to third position, earning $6.5 million from 3,890 cinemas. This is a 49% drop compared to its opening weekend. To date, this family film has amassed a total of $25.2 million at the domestic box office in the United States. Interestingly, just like its predecessors, “Paddington in Peru” has resonated more with global audiences.

In its fourth week, “Dog Man,” a canine crime adventure co-produced by Universal and DreamWorks Animation, continued to hold the fourth spot, earning $5.9 million across 3,179 theaters. This family-friendly film saw a decrease of about 40% compared to its previous weekend. To date, it has accumulated a domestic total of $78.7 million and a global total of $104 million. The production budget for this movie was estimated at $40 million.

Completing the top five is the Chinese-language animated film “Ne Zha 2,” earning $3 million from only 800 theaters in its second weekend. The film’s domestic total of $14.7 million for a foreign language film is noteworthy, but it pales in comparison to the success it has achieved in China. “Ne Zha 2” has become an unprecedented hit in China, amassing over $1.7 billion so far and surpassing “Inside Out 2” ($1.66 billion globally) as the highest-grossing animated film ever made, also ranking as the eighth highest-earning release of all time.

More to come…

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2025-02-23 19:16