'Black Panther' tops 'Wrinkle' as Disney dominates at the box office

LOS ANGELES: "Black Panther" kept up its record-setting ways in North American theaters over the weekend, easily defeating a challenge from another Disney product, newly released "A Wrinkle in Time", to again dominate box offices, industry analysts said.
The Disney/Marvel superhero collaboration took in an estimated US$41.1 million, (RM160 million) for the three-day weekend, website Exhibitor Relations reported. That bumped it up to a domestic total of US$562 million in its four weeks out, making it the seventh biggest domestic release ever.
The film's opening in China meantime boosted its international takings to US$516.6 million, pushing its overall total past the US$1 billion mark.
"Panther" stars Chadwick Boseman as the superhero king of a utopian if fictional African country. It is now the first movie since "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to top North American box offices for four consecutive weekends.
"A Wrinkle in Time", a science fantasy adventure that celebrates diversity and powerful women, took in US$33.3 million for its opening weekend. Analysts said that was something of a letdown for a big-budget Disney film. "Wrinkle" has garnered mixed reviews.
The movie, about a search through time and space for a missing father, stars Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine.
Its director, Ava DuVernay, became the first black woman to helm a movie with a US$100 million budget, Hollywood Reporter said. "Black Panther," which was also directed by an African American, Ryan Coogler, had nearly twice that budget.
In third place this weekend was new horror film "The Strangers: Prey at Night", from Aviron studios. This sort-of sequel to 2008's "The Strangers" took in US$10.5 million. The poorly reviewed movie — Variety says it serves up "the same old meat-puppet gore and cattle-prod scares" — stars Christina Hendricks and Martin Henderson as a couple whose house is invaded by three masked men.
Next was Fox spy thriller "Red Sparrow", with Jennifer Lawrence as a Russian ballerina-turned-elite spy. The movie, which took in US$8.2 million in its second week out, also stars Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeremy Irons and Charlotte Rampling.
And in fifth spot was comedy thriller "Game Night" from Warner Bros, which netted US$7.9 million. The movie, starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, tells the story of six friends who get together for beer and games and stumble into a dangerous reality game.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"Peter Rabbit" (US$6.8 million)
"Death Wish" (US$6.6 million)
"The Hurricane Heist" (US$3.2 million)
"Annihilation" (US$3.2 million)
"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" (US$2.8 million) — AFP