NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� sniffed up $23.1 million in its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, while Marvel's 鈥淎nt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania鈥� shrank unusually quickly in its second weekend.
was still No. 1 with an estimated $32.2 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters. But the 鈥淎nt-Man鈥� sequel, hit with some of the worst reviews and audience scores of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dropped a steep 69.7% in its second weekend. That's the worst decline for an MCU film, falling faster than 鈥淏lack Widow鈥� (67.8%), a pandemic release that debuted simultaneously in homes.
Instead, Universal Pictures' 鈥淐ocaine Bear鈥� rampaged through multiplexes, scoring notably above expectations. Made for about $35 million and directed by Elizabeth Banks, 鈥淐ocaine Bear鈥� stirred up plenty of buzz just from its title and its made-to-go-viral trailer.
鈥淐ocaine Bear," scripted by Jimmy Warden and produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ("Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse," 鈥淭he Lego Movie鈥�), managed to turn a bizarre true-life tale into a tongue-in-cheek box office hit. of a 175-pound (79-kilogram) black bear who died in the Georgia mountains in 1985 after eating from a duffle bag of cocaine that had fallen from a smuggler's plane. (The smuggler, a former Kentucky narcotics investigator, parachuted to his death in Tennessee.)
The trailer for 鈥淐ocaine Bear,鈥� which played ahead of the Super Bowl, was watched globally by more than 90 million, Universal said, and caught fire on social media. But transferring can-you-believe-that's-a-real-movie buzz to the box office doesn't always work. "Snakes on a Plane," a movie many compared to 鈥淐ocaine Bear,鈥� opened with $13.9 million in 2006.
鈥淎udiences discovered this very outrageous, hysterical comedy that our director Elizabeth Banks delivered,鈥� said Jim Orr, Universal distribution chief. 鈥淭he film absolutely delivers on its preposterous premise. People wanted to come out and have a good time at the theater.鈥�
鈥淐ocaine Bear鈥� managed to overperform despite mixed reviews from critics and a 鈥淏-鈥� CinemaScore from audiences. Ticket buyers were 59% male, and 63% were aged 18-34. It added $5.3 million overseas. 鈥净耻补苍迟耻尘补苍颈补鈥� is more easily outpacing 鈥淐ocaine Bear鈥� internationally, where it added $46.4 million over the weekend.
In just about the epitome of counterprogramming to 鈥淐ocaine Bear,鈥� Lionsgate's also debuted strongly. The film, likewise inspired by a true story, stars Kelsey Grammer as a California minister and Joel Courtney as youth minister, and dramatizes the movement of Christian hippies in the late '60s and early 鈥�70s. It launched with $15.5 million over the weekend and in advance screenings. Produced by the Kingdom Story Company, 鈥淛esus Revolution鈥� proved popular with Christian audiences, and early surpassed expectations. It earned an A+ CinemaScore.
Next week should see a new champ at the box office, with the release of Michael B. Jordan's
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," $32.2 million
2. 鈥淐ocaine Bear,鈥� $23.1 million.
3. 鈥淛esus Revolution,鈥� $15.5 million.
4. 鈥淎vatar: The Way of Water,鈥� $4.7 million.
5. 鈥淧uss in Boots: The Last Wish,鈥� $4.1 million.
6. 鈥淢agic Mike's Last Dance,鈥� $3 million.
7. 鈥淜nock at the Cabin,鈥� $1.9 million.
8. 鈥�80 for Brady,鈥� $1.8 million.
9. 鈥淢issing,鈥� $1 million.
10. 鈥淎 Man Called Otto,鈥� $850,000.
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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
Jake Coyle, The Associated Press
