THE Man of Steel has staying power: ‘Superman’ topped the North American box office for a second week running and surpassed the USD400 million (RM1.69 trillion) mark worldwide, industry estimates showed Sunday.
Riding largely positive reviews, the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios earned USD57.3 million (RM242.38 million) in the United States and Canada, Exhibitor Relations said.
That puts its North American take at USD235 million (RM994 million) and its international sales at USD171 million (RM723 million) – or USD406 million (RM1.717 trillion) globally.
‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ – the latest installment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga – also held its ground in second place at USD23.4 million (RM98.98 million). Its worldwide total stands at USD647.2 million (RM2.74 trillion).
The Universal film, starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali, takes viewers to an abandoned island research facility, where secrets – and genetically mutated dinosaurs – are lurking.
‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’, a sequel to two 1990s slasher hits that bring back the franchise’s original stars, Freddie Prinze Jr and Jennifer Love Hewitt, opened in third place at a disappointing USD13 million (RM55 million).
“This is another horror series returning after a long layoff, in this case after 27 years,” said industry analyst, David A. Gross, of Franchise Entertainment Research.
“Generally, the layoffs don’t bother these films; in fact, they get stronger… that’s not happening here.”
‘Smurfs’, the latest film featuring the adorable blue creatures and starring Rihanna as Smurfette, opened in a lackluster fourth place with USD11 million (RM46.53 million) in North American ticket sales.
‘F1: The Movie’, the Apple and Warner Bros. flick starring Brad Pitt as a washed-up Formula One driver who gets one last shot at redemption, finished in fifth place at USD9.6 million (RM40.61 million).
“The current lineup in theaters is strong, with a broad selection of big titles including superheroes, action, monsters, horror and animation,” said Gross.
‘Superman’ will soon get a new superhero rival when Marvel’s hotly anticipated ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ starring Pedro Pascal hits theatres in the coming days.
