WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: The Croods: A New Age Returns to No. 1, Narrowly Edging Out Judas and the Black Messiah and The Little Things

Warner Bros./Universal Pictures

Monday Update: Here are the top five films according to four-day Presidents’ Day weekend actuals, from Friday to Monday.

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 The Croods: A New Age $2,580,265 54% 1,890 -45 $1,365 $48,858,975 12 Universal Pictures
2 Judas and the Black Messiah $2,204,325 1,888 $1,168 $2,204,325 1 Warner Bros.
3 The Little Things $2,127,155 4% 2,090 -116 $1,018 $10,327,403 3 Warner Bros. / New Line
4 Wonder Woman 1984 $1,236,570 35% 1,681 -137 $736 $41,783,352 8 Warner Bros.
5 The Marksman $1,204,615 26% 1,825 -193 $660 $10,528,000 5 Open Road / Briarcliff Entertainment

Sunday Update:

Following depressed turnout over the Super Bowl frame, the box office rallied slightly – at least in pandemic-era terms – this weekend, which saw the release of two new studio films: Warner Bros. Judas and the Black Messiah and Focus Features’ Land. Nonetheless, the arrival of severe winter storms across wide swaths of the U.S. kept the theatrical marketplace at subdued levels overall.

Despite the arrival of those two titles, the No. 1 film this weekend was, miraculously, The Croods: A New Age, a movie that opened in theaters 12 weeks ago and has gone on to demonstrate the strongest legs of any film during the pandemic. The Universal/Dreamworks Animation sequel, which has remained in the top 3 throughout its run, returned to the top spot with an estimated $2.04 million over the three-day frame – up 21% from last weekend’s tally – and a projected $2.66 million over the four-day. This marks the film’s fourth time in the top spot and the first it has occupied that position since the weekend of Dec. 11. Its domestic total now stands at $48.94 million, meaning it should soon become the second film of the pandemic to cross $50 million after Tenet, which crossed the threshold back in October.

It’s a two-way tie for second place, as Warner Bros. projects both Judas and the Black Messiah and The Little Things at an estimated $2 million through Sunday and $2.4 million through Monday. With its four-day gross, the latter film now stands at $10.6 million in North America.

Targeted to open over Black History Month in both theaters and on HBO Max, Judas and the Black Messiah — which stars Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield as Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton and FBI informant William O’Neal, respectively – opened in 1,888 locations, though its day-and-date streaming debut appears to have dampened theatrical turnout slightly beyond what was expected. Nonetheless, moviegoing audiences have responded favorably to the film, which posted an “A” Cinemascore and a “A+” with audiences under the age of 25. The top 5 markets for the film were Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Houston and Dallas.

Falling to fourth place in its fifth weekend of release was Open Road’s The Marksman, which took in an estimated $1.1 million over the three-day frame and a projected $1.33 million through Monday. That brings the Liam Neeson thriller to $10.65 million so far.

Coming in at No. 5 over the four-day weekend (and effectively tied with The Marksman over the three-day) was Warner Bros. Wonder Woman 1984, which took in an estimated $1.1 million through Sunday and a projected $1.3 million through Monday. The North American gross for the superhero sequel now stands at $41.8 million through the end of the holiday weekend frame.

Debuting just outside the top 10 in sixth place is Focus Features’ Land, starring Robin Wright in her directorial debut. The drama opened in 1,231 theaters this weekend and brought in an estimated $940,000 over the three-day frame and a projected $1.07 million through Monday.

Land skewed slightly female (53% vs. 47% male) and played to an older crowd, with 82% of the opening weekend audience over the age of 35. Reviews were mixed-to-positive, with a 69% “Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes; with audiences, it garnered a Cinemascore of B+. The top 5 markets for the film were Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Dallas, Houston and New York. 

Also debuting this weekend, albeit in limited release, was STX’s The Mauritanian starring Jodie Foster, Benedict Cumberbatch, Shailene Woodley and Foster’s fellow Golden Globe nominee Tahar Rahim. Opening on 245 screens, the courtroom drama grossed an estimated $144,000 over the three-day frame and a projected $170,000 over the four-day. It had a mixed critical reception, with a 68% “Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Bleecker Street’s The World to Come also opened in limited release and brought in an estimated $43,000 over the three-day frame and a projected $49,000 through Monday from 278 screens.

Finally, Screen Media opened the Nicolas Cage horror-action film Willy’s Wonderland on 123 screens and brought in an estimated $95,000 over the three-day and a projected $118,000 through Monday.

OVERSEAS

In IMAX news, the blockbuster threequel Detective Chinatown 3 grossed $23.5 million on IMAX screens over the three-day weekend in China, part of a jaw-dropping debut frame that saw the film break the record for highest opening day gross for any film in a single market with $163 million on Friday, which was Chinese New Year. That number bested the $157 million grossed by Avengers: Endgame in North America on its opening day in 2019. Navigate here for a full breakdown of the film’s historic performance.

Warner Bros. opened Tom & Jerry: The Movie in 7 overseas markets including Singapore, Taiwan and the UAE this weekend and brought in an estimated $1.4 million on 445 screens ahead of its North American release on Feb. 26. The film opens in five additional markets, including Mexico and Brazil, next weekend.

Though it brought in just $0.4 million overseas this weekend, The Croods: A New Age has officially crossed the $150 million global mark . The film’s total now stands at $102.5 million internationally and $150.83 million worldwide.


Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates (Domestic)

FRI, FEB. 12 – SUN, FEB. 14

WIDE (1000+)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 The Croods: A New Age $2,040,000 21% 1,890 -45 $1,079 $48,318,710 12 Universal Pictures
2 The Little Things $2,000,000 -2% 2,090 -116 $957 $10,200,248 3 Warner Bros. / New Line
3 Judas and the Black Messiah $2,000,000 1,888 $1,059 $2,000,000 1 Warner Bros.
4 The Marksman $1,100,000 15% 1,825 -193 $603 $10,423,385 5 Open Road / Briarcliff Entertainment
5 Wonder Woman 1984 $1,100,000 20% 1,681 -137 $654 $41,646,782 8 Warner Bros.
6 Land $940,000 1,231 $764 $940,000 1 Focus Features
7 Monster Hunter $650,000 11% 1,366 -101 $476 $12,687,168 9 Sony Pictures
8 News of The World $385,000 -2% 1,243 -294 $310 $11,357,530 8 Universal Pictures

LIMITED (100 — 999)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Promising Young Woman $183,000 -18% 733 -190 $250 $4,923,315 8 Focus Features
2 The War With Grandpa $180,287 15% 525 -5 $343 $20,026,257 19 101 Studios
3 The Mauritanian $145,000 245 $592 $145,000 1 STX Entertainment
4 Fatale $136,500 -15% 667 -197 $205 $6,011,606 9 Lionsgate
5 Willy’s Wonderland $95,000 123 $772 $95,000 1 Screen Media
6 Come Play $87,000 7% 148 -18 $588 $10,266,730 16 Focus Features
7 The World to Come $42,552 278 $153 $42,552 1 Bleecker Street
8 Pinocchio $33,315 -34% 201 -91 $166 $1,760,539 8 Roadside Attractions
9 Our Friend $28,000 -67% 285 -342 $98 $632,164 4 Gravitas Ventures
10 Supernova $15,540 -75% 179 -149 $87 $220,795 3 Bleecker Street

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

# TITLE WEEKEND   LOCATIONS   AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Dara Of Jasenovac $7,975 -52% 21 9 $380 $33,505 2 101 Studios
Warner Bros./Universal Pictures

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