LOS ANGELES (AP) — For a second straight week, biopic ” Bob Marley: One Love ” continues to exceed expectations by claiming the No 1 spot at the box office, overcoming two debut films and Sony’s “Madame Web” that’s still producing subpar numbers.
The Paramount film starring Kingsley Ben-Adir pulled in USD13.5 million during its second week of release. The project, which was produced for about USD70 million, already eclipsed that mark, grossing nearly USD72 million domestically in North America.
It’s an impressive achievement for the Reinaldo Marcus Green-directed Marley’s musical biopic that’s focused on the Rastafarian legend’s story during the making of his 1977 album “Exodus” while leading up to his impactful concert in his native Jamaica.
“Some of his greatest hits came out nearly 50 years ago, but his music still resonates through this film,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore.
“One Love” drew nearly USD2 million more than “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To the Hashira Training” which placed No 2. The latest installment in the Japanese anime series from Crunchyroll and Sony debuted with USD11.7 million.
“Demon Slayer” scored the impressive opening number from only 1,949 locations — far less than “One Love” with 3,597 and 3,020 for ” Ordinary Angels ” — a faith-based Lionsgate film starring Hilary Swank that placed third at the box office with an estimated USD6.5 million.
“There might not be any huge blockbuster films recently, but there some real gems out there for moviegoers to see,” Dergarabedian said.
All three of those films outperformed better than ” Madame Web,” which has struggled to find its footing after the superhero movie flopped last week. It was thought the Spider-Man spinoff would draw strong numbers — especially with Dakota Johnson starring as the film’s lead Marvel character.
But so far, it hasn’t lived up to the hype, producing just USD6 million in its second week and grossing a little more than a disappointing USD35 million.
After its 10th weekend, Universal’s animated ” Migration ” rounded out the top five with USD3 million, bringing its domestic total to USD120 million. ” Argylle ” placed sixth with USD2.8 million barely outpacing ” Wonka,” which reeled in USD2.5 million. Paul King’s musical starring Timothée Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka has grossed more than USD214 million after 11 weeks.
The Ethan Coen-directed ” Drive Away Dolls ” debuted eighth with USD2.4 million ahead of ” The Beekeeper ” and “The Chosen” season four, a Christian series focused on Jesus Christ.
Dergarabedian called this past week a slow one. But next week, he expects it’ll pick up greatly with the highly anticipated ” Dune: Part Two ” making its long-waited debut, which should end the top spot reign by “One Love.”
“It’s the calm before the sandstorm,” he said.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
