‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Tops the Fourth Weekend Box Office

 “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” took down muted competition, including Universal's new holiday thriller “Violent Night”, to remain No.1 at the box office. Now in its fourth weekend of release, the superhero sequel added $17.6 million from 3,855 theaters, taking its domestic tally to $393.7 million.

Reporting from Variety, Tuesday (6/12/2022), “Violent Night,” the only new release in America this weekend, couldn't muster enough Christmas spirit to take down the powerful Wakandan warriors. The R-rated action comedy, starring David Harbor as the cranky Saint Nick, landed in second place, slightly ahead of expectations with $13.3 million from 3,682 North American theaters. Heading into the weekend, the film is projected to open at around $10 million.

Internationally, “Violent Night” added $7.05 million from 72 markets, bringing its global total to $20.35 million. Ticket sales were off to a good start as the film only cost $20 million to produce. But overall, it was a quiet weekend at the box office as theaters gear up for James Cameron's long-delayed sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water,” debuting December 16.

“This is a solid opening for an action comedy,” said David A. Gross, who runs the film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. "This film should have room to play for another week and a half before 'Avatar 2' takes over."

Tommy Wirkola directed “Violent Night”, which holds 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences seemed to be more receptive than critics, giving the film a "B+" CinemaScore. The film follows an elite group of mercenaries who break into the family compound on Christmas Eve and take everyone hostage. But the villains aren't ready for the surprise warrior—Santa Claus, hold the saint.

“David Harbor as Santa Claus is a lot of fun,” said Jim Orr, Universal's president of domestic distribution. “This is an original idea executed very well.”

Despite dominating the box office for weeks, “Wakanda Forever” will not match the reception of its predecessor, 2018's “Black Panther.” The original became a cultural phenomenon, eventually earning USD700 million in North America and USD1.3 billion globally. But the sequel faced unforeseen obstacles, such as the loss of star Chadwick Boseman, who played the main hero and died in 2020 of cancer, and a truncated theatrical market.

But “Wakanda Forever” is doing pretty well, at least by pandemic adjusted standards. It is the first film this year to hold the No. 1 on the domestic box office charts for four consecutive weekends. Soon, it will become the third film this year to cross $400 million in North America. Globally, it is approaching USD 700 million with ticket sales currently standing at USD 689 million.

Disney's animated adventure "Strange World," which collapsed with its $12 million debut, can't bounce back. The film took third place with $4.9 million from 4,174 theaters in its second weekend, down 60% from its opening.

So far, the family film has made $25.5 million in North America and $42.3 million globally — disastrous results. Since it cost about $200 million to produce and tens of millions more to market, sources estimate that "Strange World" will lose at least $100 million in theatrical run.