CPXGF - Marvel's 'Guardians' protect lead at weekend box office

2023-05-15 14:52:56 ET

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 ( NYSE: DIS ) added $60.5M in its second weekend in theaters, holding on to more than half its opening-weekend business and easily leading a field of also-rans at the box office.

The film, the third in the Marvel franchise, dropped 49% from last weekend and brought its domestic cumulative gross to $213.2M, according to Comscore data.

And it was set to keep pace with the second weekend of one of 2022's biggest hits, Marvel's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ( DIS ), which grossed $61.7M in the comparable interval.

Meanwhile, The Super Mario Bros. Movie ( NASDAQ: CMCSA ) added to its 2023-best totals, with another $13M over its sixth weekend to serve as the second-best performer. The film, based on iconic Nintendo ( OTCPK:NTDOY ) game characters, has a domestic six-week total of $536M and a global take so far of $1.21B, Comscore noted.

The best of several smaller films opening was romantic comedy sequel Book Club: The Next Chapter ( CMCSA ), which drew $6.5M, good enough for third place ahead of Evil Dead Rise ( NASDAQ: WBD ), with $3.7M, and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret ( NYSE: LGF.A ) ( LGF.B ), with $2.5M.

Notably, since summer season means limited stays for blockbusters on large-format screens, Guardians 3 led IMAX ( IMAX ) to a $12M weekend worldwide, for a cumulative total of $43.6M on IMAX screens, Comscore noted. (Next weekend, Fast X ( CMCSA ) will take over 1,548 IMAX screens in 82 countries.)

Cinema tickers: AMC Entertainment ( AMC ); Cineworld ( OTCPK:CNNWQ ); Cinemark ( CNK ); ( IMAX ); Marcus ( MCS ); Reading International ( RDI ); Cineplex ( CGX:CA ); National CineMedia ( NCMI ).

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