MGM’s Creed III is the new heavyweight champion at the domestic box office, beating Disney and Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania over the weekend by $58.7 million, according to estimates from metrics company Comscore.
MGM reports that the latest installment in the “Creed” franchise has the all-time highest domestic grossing for a sports film, surpassing 2015’s “Creed” ($29.6 million), 2018’s “Creed II” ($35 $0 .6 million) and “Rocky” films and the previous record holder, 2010’s “The Karate Kid” ($55.7 million).
“Many franchises are subject to the law of diminishing returns,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, said in a statement, “but ‘Creed’ is a welcome exception and the continued interest and excitement moviegoers have for the character and these films being generational and spiritual successors to the ‘Rocky’ brand that started nearly 50 years ago is quite remarkable.
Creed III, directed by Michael B. Jordan, stars Jordan and Jonathan Majors as childhood friends turned boxing foes. (Majors, who also plays the villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, appears in both the #1 and #2 titles at the domestic box office this weekend.)
Jordan’s feature debut stars Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu and Phylicia Rashad. The boxing drama received an excellent 87% re-rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes and an A-Minus from viewers polled by CinemaScore.
In her Los Angeles Times review of Creed III, film critic Katie Walsh praised the long-awaited sequel as “a solid first feature with a stunning performance” from Majors.
“Jordan’s consistent direction elevates the material while maintaining a strong hand on tone and emotional tenor,” writes Walsh.
“But what Jordan does best as a star, director and producer is showcasing majors heavyweight prowess and making him one of our brightest stars. Taking on a behind-the-scenes role is part of the legacy of ‘Rocky’, and Jordan takes control with ease, battling majors and ushering in an exciting new chapter in his career post-Creed.
Rounding out the weekend’s domestic box office top five is “Ant-Man,” which grossed $12.5 million in its third weekend for a total of $186.8 million in North America; Universal Pictures’ “Cocaine Bear,” which grossed $11 million in its second weekend and grossed $41.3 million in North America; Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba from Crunchyroll Studios – to the Swordsmith Village, launched for $10.1 million; and Lionsgate’s Jesus Revolution, which grossed $8.7 million in its second weekend for a North American total of $30.5 million.
Sony Pictures’ ’65’, Focus Features’ ‘Champions’ and Paramount Pictures’ ‘Scream VI’ hit theaters this weekend.
Source: LA Times
Andrew Dwight is an author and economy journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of financial markets and a passion for analyzing economic trends and news. With a talent for breaking down complex economic concepts into easily understandable terms, Andrew has become a respected voice in the field of economics journalism.
