"Creed III" Opens at $56.M Domestically - The #1 Opening for a Sports Film

[JamesG]

Creed III Posts Best Opening Weekend of All-Time for a Sports Film
by Box Office Staff
March 5, 2023


The MGM / United Artists Releasing boxing drama Creed III delivered a knockout at the box office, with a $58.6M domestic debut and $100M global launch from over 75 markets.

Domestically, it’s the franchise’s top opening yet, +98% above 2015’s Creed ($29.6M) and +64% above 2018’s Creed II ($35.5M).

It’s also the top opening weekend ever for a sports-themed film.




Creed III earned an “A-” CinemaScore, slightly lower than the “A” score for both the two prior Creed installments.

Creed III opened with $41.8M overseas, for a $100.4M global opening. That’s more than double the number for Creed and +25% ahead of Creed II.







The Disney / Marvel Studios superhero sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania earned a dubious honor: the steepest second-weekend drop of any MCU film.

The film fell -69.8%, exceeding the MCU’s prior steepest second-weekend drop: 2021’s Black Widow with -67.8%. (The mildest is 2018’s Black Panther with -44.7%.)



Now in its third frame, Quantumania drops -61.0% to $12.4M and second place.

Quantumania has earned $168.7M domestically and $232.7M overseas, for a $419.5M global total.







Universal’s R-rated comedy-thriller Cocaine Bear debuted in second place with $23.2M, above most pre-release industry projections.

Now in its sophomore frame, it falls -53% to $11.0M and third place.

Cocaine Bear has earned $3.1M overseas and $11.0M domestically, for a $14.1M global total.







Crunchyroll’s anime Demon Slayer: To the Swordsmith Village slashed its way to a $10.1M debut in fourth place, about in line with industry pre-release projections.

Swordsmith debuted with $12.3M overseas and $10.1M domestically, for a $22.4M global opening.







Last weekend, Lionsgate’s faith-based film Jesus Revolution prayed its way to $15.8M in third place.

Now in its sophomore frame, it falls -46% to $8.6M and fifth place.







20th Century Studios’ sci-fi sequel Avatar: The Way of Water claimed the #50 twelfth weekend of all time, with a mild -26% decline to $3.5M and sixth place.

It has now earned $670.6M domestically.



Overseas, Water has earned $1.61B. That’s the #3 overseas total of all time, behind only 2009’s Avatar ($2.13B) and 2019’s Avengers: Endgame ($1.94B).

Globally, Water has earned $2.28 Billion.







Lionsgate’s action-comedy Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre didn’t earn a “fortune,” opening to $3.1M in seventh place.

That’s in line with (or possibly even a bit below) pre-release projections, which were closer to $4M.







Universal’s animated sequel Puss in Boots: The Last Wish didn’t crack the top 100 all time for any of its first four frames. Due to strong legs at the box office, though, it’s broken into that tier every frame since, from its fifth weekend on.

The Last Wish has earned $177.1M domestically and $276.4M overseas, for a $453.5M global total.

https://www.boxofficepro.com/weekend...d-iii-opening/







March 3-5, 2023: Weekend Studio Estimates

1. Creed III $58,658,008
2. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania $12,471,000 / $186,799,000
3. Cocaine Bear $11,020,000 / $41,288,320
4. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba - To the Swordsmith Village $10,117,806
5. Jesus Revolution $8,650,000 / $30,541,391
6. Avatar: The Way of Water $3,578,000 / $670,632,000
7. Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre $3,160,000
8. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish $2,720,000 / $177,127,795
9. Magic Mike's Last Dance $1,180,000 / $25,363,000
10. 80 for Brady $845,000 / $38,318,383