Superheroes aren’t usually caught napping.
Nor are box-office prognosticators.
But neither party saw this weekend’s surprising slam dunk at the multiplex coming.
All early projections had Marvel’s Scarlett Johansson-led tentpole, Black Widow, repeating in the top spot for a second straight weekend.
But NBA legend LeBron James and a bunch of double-dribbling Looney Tunes characters spurred Warner Bros.’ family-friendly Space Jam: A New Legacy to a box-office upset thanks to a surprisingly robust $31.7 million domestic bow.A follow-up to 1996’s live-action/animated hybrid Space Jam (starring Michael Jordan), A New Legacy rocketed past its pre-weekend $20 million forecast to take in just under $31.7 million at the domestic box office.
It was the biggest opening for a kids-targeted film since the Covid-19 pandemic began in earnest 16 months ago.
Unspooling in 3,965 theaters, the PG-rated movie earned a $7,982 per-screen average in its debut frame.
The result was especially impressive considering
Read full article