In a competitive box office landscape, Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch” continues to dominate, marking its third weekend at the top, while the release of “Ballerina,” a spinoff from the John Wick franchise, underperformed compared to expectations.
“From the World of John Wick: Ballerina,” directed by Len Wiseman and featuring Ana de Armas, raked in $25 million across 3,409 theaters in North America, significantly lower than earlier predictions of $35 to $40 million. This film, a sideline tale set during the events of “John Wick 3,” has received favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike. However, despite the strong word of mouth, it is estimated to be the second lowest opening of the five-film franchise, only surpassing the original’s $14 million debut in 2014.
Despite its lower-than-expected opening, Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst for Comscore, suggests that “Ballerina” has the potential for longevity in theaters. He notes that, despite being part of a well-known franchise, it plays like a fresh original, differentiating itself from larger franchise releases such as “Mission: Impossible.”
Meanwhile, “Lilo & Stitch” remained solid with a domestic gross of $32.5 million this weekend, bringing its cumulative total to $335.8 million domestically and $772.6 million globally in just 17 days. This impressive performance exceeds the lifetime earnings of the live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” which grossed $298 million.
Other films in the box office lineup included “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” at third place with $15 million, boosting its global total to $450.4 million, and “Karate Kid: Legends,” which earned $8.7 million. Lastly, the anime film “Dan Da Dan: Evil Eye” marked its debut with $3.1 million, contributing to a diverse box office weekend where overall ticket sales are up over 26% compared to this time last year.
Overall, the outlook for the box office is becoming increasingly positive as audiences return to theaters for engaging stories, indicating a hopeful resurgence for the film industry amid recent challenges, including pandemic-related disruptions and a rising preference for streaming. This suggests that as more anticipated films continue to roll out, such as upcoming releases like “How to Train Your Dragon,” the momentum may carry on into the summer season.
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