'Black Panther' pounces to box office glory over holiday weekend

WASHINGTON: As the US kicked back for a long weekend, Disney's "Black Panther" got off to a superhero start in the North American box office, rocketing to the top spot with record-breaking earnings of US$242.2 million, industry data showed Monday.
According to figures from industry tracker Exhibitor Relations, the highly-anticipated 18th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe earned US$202 million over Friday, Saturday and Sunday — exceeding predictions of US$170 million.
A new record Monday take of US$40.2 million in the US pushed "Black Panther's" staggering earnings even further beyond the previous record-holder "Deadpool's" 2016 Presidents' Day weekend mark of US$152.1 million.
Its performance overseas brought the global total to US$426.6 million, which is already more than Marvel's "Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) and "The Incredible Hulk" (2008) made during their entire theatrical runs.
The film, from Disney-owned Marvel Studios, features a star-studded, almost entirely black cast led by Chadwick Boseman as the first non-white superhero to get his own standalone movie in the franchise.
Starring alongside Michael B Jordan and Lupita Nyong'o, Boseman plays the titular superhero also known as T'Challa, king and protector of the technologically advanced fictional African nation of Wakanda, an affluent, never-colonized utopia.
Its various achievements include the second-largest four-day domestic opening weekend of all time, behind "Star Wars: The Force Awakens (US$288.1 million)" and just ahead of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" (US$241.6 million).
Its three-day opening breaks the record for February and is the best ever for an African-American director.
In at second was family-friendly "Peter Rabbit," based on Beatrix Potter's classic children's book. Mixing live actors with computer-generated animation, it brought in US$23.4 million over the holiday weekend for total earnings of US$54.4 million.
James Corden voices the lead bunny which feuds with garden owner Domhnall Gleeson for the affections of sweet-hearted neighbor Rose Byrne.
Dropping to third was last week's box office champion, Universal's "Fifty Shades Freed," with takings of US$19.4 million, down from US$38.6 million the previous week.
Starring Dakota Johnson as English lit major-turned-publisher Anastasia Steele and Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey, her kinky lover-turned-husband, "Freed" is the last of the "Fifty Shades" trilogy, which has enjoyed massive popularity among primarily female audiences.
Sony's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" placed fourth in its ninth week in theaters, matching last week's earnings with US$10 million.
Featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black, the family film tells the tale of a group of teens transported inside a video game world.
Director Clint Eastwood's "The 15:17" dropped two places into fifth, taking US$8.9 million.
The film recounts the story of three young Americans who foiled a terrorist attack on board a train in France in 2015. In an alternative approach that divided critics, Eastwood cast the three men — none of whom had any acting experience — to play themselves.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"The Greatest Showman" (US$6.5 million)
"Early Man" (US$4.3 million)
"Maze Runner: The Death Cure" (US$3.2 million)
"Winchester" (US$2.6 million)
"The Post" (US$2.4 million)
— AFP
US$1 = RM3.91