Box Office Recap: March 3-5, 2023
Creed III knocks out its box office competitors with highest franchise opening.
It was another victorious outing for the Rocky franchise over the first weekend of March, as Creed III went the distance and took home a $50+ million opening, earning over half of the $112.4 million grossed over the weekend by the box office’s top ten films. This makes it the highest opening of not only the three Creed films but the entire Rocky franchise. Even more impressive, it also scored the highest box office opening of any sports film. Meanwhile, Guy Ritchie’s new spy action comedy received a tepid $3 million opening; the manga series Demon Slayer scored a solid debut of $10 million; and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania fell hard again over its third weekend.
Finishing first, United Artists’s Creed III opened with $58.7 million domestically, earning an impressive per-theater average of $14,638 at 4,007 locations. Internationally, the ninth entry of the entire Rocky franchise, and third of the Creed spin-off series, earned $41.8 million for a worldwide cume of $100.5 million against a reported production budget of $75 million. Given both its positive critical reception and the strong “A-” CinemaScore from moviegoers, the boxing sports drama, which marks star Michael B. Jordan’s directorial debut, should have no trouble giving its earnings some further distance from its budget.
For comparison, 2015’s Creed opened with $29.6 million domestically and went on to gross $173.6 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $35 million. 2018’s Creed II opened with $35.6 million domestically and went on to gross $214.2 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $50 million. All three Creed films have received roughly the same level of positive reception from both critics and moviegoers, so all signs seem to be pointing to another strong showing at the box office for this third entry.
In the runner-up spot, Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania took another hard fall of -61.0% over its third weekend in release, earning $12.5 million domestically for a domestic cume of $186.8 million. Internationally, the film has earned $232.8 million, which altogether, moves its total worldwide performance to $419.6 million against a reported production budget of $200 million. Taking into account the 2-3x multiplier films, on average, are expected to gross in order to start earning a profit, Quantumania is still roughly $80 million shy of its target average of $500 million. At this point, it’s all but certain that it’ll need another boost from the overseas markets to come close to reaching that target.
Landing in third place, Universal’s Cocaine Bear grossed $11.0 million domestically, a -52.6% sophomore drop that produced a per-theater average of $3,085 at 3,571 locations. This now pushes its total domestic run to $41.3 million. Internationally, the Elizabeth Banks directed horror comedy grossed $10.7 million for a global cume that is now at $52.0 million against a reported production budget ranging between $30-35 million.
In fourth place, Crunchyroll’s Japanese manga series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village opened with $10.1 million domestically, earning a strong per-theater average of $5,703 at 1,774 locations. Overseas, the animated film earned an additional $25.0 million to bring its debut worldwide total to $35.1 million.
Rounding out the top five, Lionsgate’s Jesus Revolution took in $8.7 million domestically over its second weekend in release. This marks a respectable -45.5% drop from its debut frame, earning a per-theater average of $3,359 at 2,575 locations. Currently, the film’s overall domestic run stands at $30.5 million against a reported production budget of $15 million.
Elsewhere within the top ten, in seventh place, Lionsgate’s Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre opened with $3.1 million domestically, earning a per-theater average of $1,457 at 2,168 locations. While critical reception for the Guy Ritchie directed spy action comedy was mixed, moviegoers were more receptive, giving the film a solid “B+” CinemaScore, which could help strengthen its legs through word of mouth. Internationally, the film fared much better, earning $30.8 million for a global cume of $33.9 million against a reported $50 million production budget.
Opening this weekend, Sony debuts their sci-fi action thriller 65 starring Academy Award nominee Adam Driver; Focus Features will open the Bobby Farrelly directed sports comedy Champions starring Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson, Ernie Hudson and Cheech Marin; and Paramount Pictures releases Scream VI, the next installment of the popular slasher horror franchise, which stars Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Hayden Panettiere and Courteney Cox.
* Total worldwide gross listed in parenthesis.
1) Creed III – $58.7 million, Week 1 ($100.5 million)
2) Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – $12.5 million, Week 3 ($419.6 million)
3) Cocaine Bear – $11.0 million, Week 2 ($52.0 million)
4) Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village – $10.1 million, Week 1 ($35.1 million)
5) Jesus Revolution – $8.7 million, Week 2 ($30.5 million)
6) Avatar: The Way of Water – $3.6 million, Week 12 ($2.28 billion)
7) Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre – $3.1 million, Week 1 ($33.9 million)
8) Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – $2.7 million, Week 11 ($453.6 million)
9) Magic Mike’s Last Dance – $1.2 million, Week 4 ($52.4 million)
10) 80 for Brady – $845.0k, Week 5 ($38.3 million)
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