Bad Boys for Life won Super Bowl weekend at the US box office, earning another $17.7-M for a franchise-best domestic total of $148.1-M.
The film has stayed atop the chart for 3 weekends running, and is a major win for stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, as well as Sony.
Bad Boys 3Â also led again overseas, collecting $30.8-M from 63 markets for a foreign haul of $142.7-M and a series-high of $290.8-M globally.
Oscar contender 1917 continued to impress on the path to the Academy Awards ceremony on 9 February. The World War I movie, from Amblin and Universal, came #2 with $9.7-M for a domestic take of $119.2-M and $249-M worldwide.
Universal claimed 3rd place with Dolittle earning $7.7-M for $126.6-M globally against a production budget of at least $175-M before marketing.
Super Bowl weekend is always challenging for Hollywood as studios are reluctant to open their high-profile titles opposite the NFL Championship telecast.
Overall weekend revenue hit $85-M this year, besting Y 2019’s 15-yr low.
Gretel & Hansel, a dark reimagining of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, bowed at #4 with an estimated $6.1-M. The film from Orion Pictures was dinged by mixed reviews and a C- CinemaScore.
The Rhythm Section came DOA grossing just $2.8-M to mark the worst opening ever for a title playing on 3,000 or more screens.
Rhythm Section was originally supposed to launch almost a year ago, but its release was delayed after star Blake Lively injured her hand.
The $50-M action-drama was produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson’s Eon, home of the James Bond franchise. Paramount picked up domestic distribution rights for a reported $30-M.
Rhythm Section was spurned by critics, received a C+ CinemaScore from audiences.
By contrast, the Metropolitan Opera’s live Saturday broadcast of Porgy and Bess in more than 1,000 theaters in North America generated almost as much with $2.6-M.
The Gentlemen rounded out the Top 5 with $6-M for a 10-day total of $20.4-M for STXfilms and Miramax. Globally, the Guy Ritchie-directed pic has grossed $48-M+.
Among holdovers
Sony’s best picture Oscar nominee Little Women neared the $100-M mark in North America, while its global total grew to $172.9-M.
Lionsgate and MRC’s Knives Out is approaching the $300-M threshold globally after finishing Sunday with $293.7-M in worldwide ticket sales.
At the specialty box office
The Harvey Weinstein-inspired pic The Assistant posted an opening location average of $21,176 in New York and Los Angeles.
Specialty holdovers: Parasite and Jojo Rabbit both made gains as the Oscar ceremony approaches, both are up for best picture.
Have some fun, see a movie this week.
