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That modest figure was enough to hold off a
buzzy new release, "Judas and the Black Messiah." The galvanic
look at Black Panther leader Fred Hampton scored rave reviews
and opened to $2 million. It is projected to gross $2.4 million
and should end the weekend in second or third place. The Warner
Bros. release is also debuting simultaneously on HBO Max,
following in the footsteps of "Wonder Woman 1984" and "The
Little Things," a thriller with Denzel Washington. "Judas and
the Black Messiah" is expected to be a major awards season
player -- it's attracting Oscar attention for stars Daniel
Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, as well as for director and
co-writer Shaka King.
"The Little Things," now in its third week of release earned $2
million. It will end the holiday with another $2.4 million in
the bank, which will mean it will fight for second or third
place with "Judas and the Black Messiah." "Wonder Woman 1984"
picked up $1.1 million, which should be enough to capture the
fourth or fifth spot on the charts. The superhero sequel has
earned since $41.8 million opening in theaters and on HBO Max
over Christmas.
Open Road's "The Marksmen" rounded out the top five, earning
$1.1 million. It is expected to gross $1.3 million over the
President's Day holiday and has earned $10.6 million in five
weeks of release.
These meagre grosses come as much of the domestic box office
remains shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic. The box
office was also negatively impacted by winter storms that swept
across the midwest. The inclement weather was somewhat offset by
recent cinema re-openings in the likes of Chicago and Portland.
There were a number of prominent new releases entering the
enfeebled marketplace. Focus Features' "Land," which marks the
feature directorial debut of Robin Wright, netted $940,000 in
its opening weekend from 1,231 theaters. It is expected to gross
$1.1 million over the four-day holiday. The drama centers on a
woman recovering from a near-death experience. It debuted at
this year's Sundance Film Festival.
STX's "The Mauritanian," a fact-based legal drama, took in an
estimated $144,000 this weekend from 245 venues. It is expected
to gross $170,000 for the four day holiday weekend. The film
stars Tahar Rahim and Jodie Foster and tells the story of a man
who is detained and imprisoned in Guantanamo without being
charged with a crime by the U.S. Government for years.
And Bleecker Street's "The World to Come," a period drama about
two women (Vanessa Kirby and Katherine Waterston) who become
romantically involved while living in the mid-19th century
American East Coast frontier, premiered to $42,552. It is
expected to bring in an estimated $48,935 over the holiday.
There's not a lot of hopeful signs for movie theaters who have
endured nearly a year of lost business. Most of the big
blockbusters that were slated to open during the first six
months of the year -- a group that includes "No Time to Die,"
"Fast 9" and "Black Widow" -- have moved their release or are
expected to get delayed. Until the bulk of the country is
vaccinated and cinemas can reopen in major cities can open up
cinemas, there won't be a theatrical revival.
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