The National Times - 'Superman' triumphs once again at N.American box office

'Superman' triumphs once again at N.American box office


'Superman' triumphs once again at N.American box office
'Superman' triumphs once again at N.American box office / Photo: © AFP/File

The Man of Steel has staying power: "Superman" topped the North American box office for a second week running and surpassed the $400 million mark worldwide, industry estimates showed Sunday.

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Riding largely positive reviews, the latest big-budget action film featuring the iconic superhero from Warner Bros. and DC Studios earned $57.3 million in the United States and Canada, Exhibitor Relations said.

That puts its North American take at $235 million and its international sales at $171 million -- or $406 million globally.

"Jurassic World: Rebirth" -- the latest installment in the blockbuster dinosaur saga -- also held its ground in second place at $23.4 million. Its worldwide total stands at $647.2 million.

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 $13 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 $11 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 $9.6 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 theaters in the coming days.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"How to Train Your Dragon" ($5.4 million)

"Eddington" ($4.3 million)

"Elio" ($2.0 million)

"Lilo & Stitch" ($1.5 million)

"28 Years Later" ($1.3 million)

A.Wood--TNT