With an estimated $64 million across five days, Disney’sBlack Panther: Wakanda Forevertopped the extended Thanksgiving weekend at the box office, exceeding expectations by a couple of million dollars. On the other hand, the House of Mouse’s latest animated release, the action-adventureStrange Worldbombed with just $18.6 million.
Wakanda Foreverdebuted with $181 million in its opening weekend, and earned $66 million in its second weekend. A $64 million third weekend takes its running domestic total to $367 million, and over $650 million globally. The firstBlack Pantherfilm, also directed byWakanda Forever’sRyan Coogler, made a staggering $700 million domestically and $1.3 billion worldwide in 2018.
Wakanda Foreverhas now also passed fellow Marvel sequelThor: Love and Thunderat the domestic box office, and is on track to overtake the $411 million lifetime haul ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessin the coming weeks.
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Thanksgiving has been a successful period for animated Disney releases historically;Frozen IImade $125 million during the same period in 2019. Which is why the subpar $18.6 million debut ofStrange Worldis all the more surprising. Was it a lack of publicity, or a pre-planned strategy to build buzz for the film’s upcoming streaming release? It’s difficult to say. But when a $180 million movie opens this low, questions will be asked.Strange Worldfell short of its already modest $40 million five-day projections. That would’ve put it on par with last year’sEncanto, which became an even bigger hit when it was released on the Disney+ streaming service a month after its theatrical debut.Strange Worldis currently expected to land on Disney+ around Christmas.
In happier news, Netflix’s unprecedented nationwide release ofGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysterymade an estimated $13.3 million in its extended opening in around 650 theaters. A sequel to directorRian Johnson’s hit 2019 murder mysteryKnives Out,Glass Onionwill play in the country’s top three cinema chains in special one-week-only engagements, before landing on the service next month.
Sony’sDevotion, starringJonathan MajorsandGlen Powell, also underperformed. Directed byJ.D. Dillardand budgeted at a reported $90 million, the Korean War drama made an estimated $9 million for a fourth place finish. While it’s the top-performing new release this week, the film’s significant budget means that celebrations will have to be delayed, or at least tempered. The top five was rounded out by Searchlight’s dark comedyThe Menu, which has added $7.3 million since Wednesday, taking its running domestic total to $18 million.
Elsewhere, the nationwide expansion ofSteven Spielberg’s semi-autobiographicalThe Fabelmanstook the seventh spot with $3.1 million across five days in a little over 600 theaters, while directorLuca Guadagnino’s cannibal romanceBones and Allmade an estimated $3.4 million across five days, but from over 2,700 theaters.Wakanda Foreverhas a clear path for the next few weeks, beforeJames Cameron’sAvatar: The Way of Waterarrives in theaters next month. You can watch our interview with Coogler here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
