Box office report: Kung Fu Panda 3 wins again as newcomers fumble
This weekend’s three new releases failed to make much of an impression over Super Bowl weekend, clearing the way for Kung Fu Panda 3 to once again top the box office with an estimated $21 million and a domestic total of $69.1 million.
As for the trio of newcomers, Hail, Caesar! had the best weekend, and the Coen brothers’ take on old Hollywood, which opened in 2,232 theaters, was the only film that lived up its box office expectations, earning $11.4 million for second place. Still, even with a star-studded cast of George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Scarlett Johansson, and Channing Tatum, it earned a dismal C- CinemaScore, suggesting a steep drop-off in the future.
The Choice was the only other new release to crack the top five, ending the weekend with an estimated $6.1 million. The Nicholas Sparks romance, which stars Teresa Palmer and Benjamin Walker, opened in 2,631 theaters a week before Valentine’s Day and earned a B+ CinemaScore. The Choice is the 11th Sparks adaptation to make it to the big screen, and it’s the first one to debut below $10 million.
As for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, the period horror piece fell short of predictions, earning only $5.2 million for the weekend in 2,931 theaters. The zombified Jane Austen adaptation, starring Lily James, Sam Riley, and Matt Smith, earned a B- CinemaScore and placed sixth.
Instead, holdovers The Revenant and Star Wars: The Force Awakens held on to their grip on the top five. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s The Revenant added another $7.1 million to its total, bringing the Leonardo DiCaprio-starring drama up to $149.7 million domestically.
Meanwhile, Star Wars: The Force Awakens took fourth place with $6.9 million domestically, and it set a new record, becoming the only film in history to make more than $900 million domestically. (Through Sunday, its estimated domestic total is at $906 million.) Globally, it became only the third movie ever to cross $2 billion, joining Titanic and Avatar.
Here are this weekend’s top five at the box office:
1. Kung Fu Panda 3 — $21 million
2. Hail, Caesar! — $11.4 million
3. The Revenant — $7.1 million
4. Star Wars: The Force Awakens — $6.9 million
5. The Choice — $6.1 million