Ballerina Box Office & Lilo & Stitch No. 1
- Lilo & Stitch continues it's impressive run,leading the North American box office for a third straight weekend.
- The John Wick universe expanded with Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas.
- Originally projected to earn $35 million or more, expectations for Ballerina were adjusted downward leading up to its release.
Lilo & Stitch soars as the undisputed box office champion for a third week, raking in a stellar $32.5 million and proving its enduring appeal. This success overshadows the debut of Ballerina, the John Wick spinoff, which opened at a disappointing $25 million, falling short of expectations despite positive audience scores. The film’s opening weekend marks the lowest for the franchise, signaling a potential shakeup in the action cinema landscape.Meanwhile, Mission Impractical: The Final Reckoning secures third place, further intensifying the competition. Delve into the weekend’s film financials and what drove audience behaviors with insights from News Directory 3. Discover what’s next for these blockbusters and the future of the box office.
Lilo & Stitch Dominates Box Office as Ballerina Falls Short
Lilo & Stitch continues it’s impressive run,leading the North American box office for a third straight weekend. The film grossed an estimated $32.5 million from 4,185 theaters, bringing its domestic total to $335.8 million and its global haul to $772.6 million, according to studio estimates. This performance highlights the film’s strong appeal and staying power with audiences.
The John Wick universe expanded with Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas. However, the film opened in second place with a less-than-expected $25 million from 3,409 locations. This marks the lowest opening for the franchise, excluding the original John Wick. Keanu Reeves also appears in the film.
Originally projected to earn $35 million or more, expectations for Ballerina were adjusted downward leading up to its release. Despite a first-place opening day with $10.8 million, including $3.75 million in previews, the film slipped to second place. Though, strong audience scores, including an A- CinemaScore and positive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and PostTrak, suggest the film could have staying power.
Lionsgate had anticipated Ballerina would at least match John Wick: Chapter 2‘s $30.4 million opening in 2017. PostTrak data indicates that the audience for Ballerina is 63% male. Lionsgate and Thunder Road Films / 87Eleven Entertainment covered a meaningful portion of the $90 million production budget through foreign sales.
Directed by Len Wiseman and written by Shay Hatten, Ballerina follows Eve Macarro (de Armas) during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum as she trains in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma. The film also stars Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Norman Reedus.
Competition from other male-skewing action films,including Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning,impacted Ballerina’s debut.Final Reckoning, starring Tom Cruise, earned an estimated $15 million from 3,456 locations, securing third place. Its domestic total stands at $149.2 million, with an international haul of $301.2 million and a global total of $450.4 million.
Karate Kid: Legends experienced a significant drop in its second weekend, earning $8.7 million from 3,859 sites, bringing its domestic total to $35.4 million.Final Destination: Bloodlines rounded out the top five, followed by Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician scheme, which expanded to 1,678 theaters.
What’s next
The coming weeks will reveal if Ballerina can overcome its initial performance and achieve long-term success, while lilo & stitch aims to continue its box office dominance.