Almost exactly two months after it last was atop the box office charts, Universal’s The Croods: A New Age returned to the top spot, narrowly beating out newcomer Judas and the Black Messiah.
The Croods: A New Age dropped 45 theaters to 1,890 but it still posted an increase of 21.4% from last weekend, winning the box office with an estimated $2.04 million, via Box Office Mojo.
It narrowly overcame Warner Bros.’ Judas and the Black Messiah, which was also available on HBO Max, debuting with an estimated $2 million.
Box office winner: Almost exactly two months after it last was atop the box office charts, Universal’s The Croods: A New Age returned to the top spot, narrowly beating out newcomer Judas and the Black Messiah
Second place: It narrowly overcame Warner Bros.’ Judas and the Black Messiah, which was also available on HBO Max, debuting with an estimated $2 million
When factoring in the Presidents’ Day holiday on Monday, The Croods: A New Age took in $2.66 million, still beating out Judas and The Black Messiah’s $2.4 million, bringing its domestic haul to $48.9 million.
Judas and the Black Messiah was released in 1,888 theaters, posting a $1,059 per-screen average for its opening weekend.
The film by director Shaka King, starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, earned rave reviews with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Holiday: When factoring in the Presidents’ Day holiday on Monday, The Croods: A New Age took in $2.66 million, still beating out Judas and The Black Messiah’s $2.4 million, bringing its domestic haul to $48.9 million
Rave reviews: The film by director Shaka King, starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, earned rave reviews with a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
The film is considered a heavy awards favorite, and if it does earn an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, it will be the first film ever to do so with an all Black producing team (director Shaka King, Ryan Coogler and Charles D. King).
Considering the film was available at no extra cost to HBO Max subscribers, a $2 million opening weekend is quite solid, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judas and the Black Messiah is the second film of the year that Warner Bros. is releasing simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, following The Little Things, starring a trio of Oscar winners – Denzel Washington, Jared Leto and Rami Malek.
Awards favorite: The film is considered a heavy awards favorite, and if it does earn an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, it will be the first film ever to do so with an all Black producing team (director Shaka King, Ryan Coogler and Charles D. King)
The Little Things dropped just 10.5% from last weekend, though it slipped from first place to third with $1.88 million, with $2.4 million from the four-day holiday weekend.
The Little Things’ domestic tally has now improved to $10.6 million since its release at the end of January.
The box office top 5 is rounded out by The Marksman ($1.325 million, $10.6 million domestic) and newcomer Land ($1.07 million from 1,231 theaters for a $869 per-screen average).
Top 5: The box office top 5 is rounded out by The Marksman ($1.325 million, $10.6 million domestic) and newcomer Land ($1.07 million from 1,231 theaters for a $869 per-screen average)
The top 10 is rounded out by Monster Hunter ($750,000, $12.7 million domestic), News of the World ($443,000, $11.4 million domestic), The War With Grandpa ($215,578, $20.1 million domestic), Promising Young Woman ($209,000, $4.9 million domestic) and newcomer The Mauritanian ($170,000 from 245 theaters for a $693 per-screen average).
There won’t be any new films in wide release next weekend, so the top 10 may very well look quite similar to this week.
Awards season favorite Nomadland opens in limited release next weekend, with Warner Bros. Tom & Jerry opening wide on February 26
No wide releases: There won’t be any new films in wide release next weekend, so the top 10 may very well look quite similar to this week