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“Karate Kid: Legends” kicked off with $7.5 million from 3,809 theaters across Friday and preview screenings — but it won’t be enough to wax off “Lilo & Stitch” or “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” from the top of the box office.
Sony’s “Karate Kid” legacy sequel is coming in behind projections for a $25 million debut, now slowing down to $21 million to $23 million. Even if it falls lower, the PG-13 martial arts film cost just $45 million to produce — relatively modest for a summer blockbuster play. “Legends” isn’t breaking out much beyond “Karate Kid” fans, but their nostalgia for the 1984 original and its sequels is sizable. A 2010 film reboot, led by Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, was a theatrical hit, and Netflix’s popular “Cobra Kai” spinoff series concluded its sprawling six-season run just earlier this year.
This new entry pulls together everything that’s come before, with Chan returning to team with original karate kid and “Cobra Kai” star Ralph Macchio to train a new young fighter, played by Ben Wang. Reviews have been middling for this Jonathan Entwistle-directed feature, but the fans seem to enjoy it, with moviegoer survey firm Cinema Score turning in a strong “A-” grade among the first wave of ticketbuyers. “Legends” will hope that positive reception can draw more viewers as schools let out.
But Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” remains the prime option for families, making contact with about $17.2 million more on its second Friday. The live-action remake exploded in its opening last frame, earning the biggest Memorial Day weekend gross of all time at $182.6 million. It already ranks as the third-highest-grossing North American release of the year, with $235 million so far. It’s a fantastic result weighed against the film’s $100 million production budget — and that theatrical success is even sweeter considering the film was originally conceived as a Disney+ original.
Meanwhile, “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” will keep running in second after earning $7.5 million on its second Friday. The eighth (and allegedly final) entry in Tom Cruise’s action series is projecting $26.7 million for its sophomore outing, which would be down 58% from its franchise-record opening.
The Paramount release, which still has Imax screens and lots of premium large-format auditoriums, passed $100 million domestic on Friday and is looking to hit $122 million through its first 10 days. To compare to prior entries, 2023’s “Dead Reckoning” had $118 million in the same window, while 2018’s “Fallout” had $124 million. It’s all falling in line with the franchise’s track record, but “Final Reckoning” cost $400 million to produce — a price tag that ballooned through COVID protocols, strike delays and years of inflation. Turning a profit theatrically remains a very steep task.
Eyeing fifth place in its opening, “Bring Her Back” earned about $3.1 million across Friday and previews bowing in 2,409 venues. A24’s foster-family thriller, starring a freaky Sally Hawkins, is the follow-up to Danny and Michael Philippou’s 2023 release “Talk to Me,” which debuted at Sundance before being acquired by the indie banner in a splashy deal. It became what was then A24’s second-highest-grossing feature ever.
“Bring Her Back” sports fantastic reviews and even a positive “B+” grade from Cinema Score — practically a rave from moviegoers, considering horror movies (especially ones as feel-bad and brutal as this one) tend to draw more divided responses. Those are great critical marks that could portend a similar breakthrough to “Talk to Me,” which opened to $10.4 million and legged out a fantastic 4.6x multiplier. There’s no horror competition to come until Sony’s “28 Years Later” on June 20.
Of course, there’s still “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” which is looking at fourth place after earning about $3.1 million on Friday, pushing its domestic total to $104 million. Not only is that far and away the highest-grossing of the franchise, but “Bloodlines” will soon double the domestic earnings of the series’ previous high watermark, 2009’s “The Final Destination” ($66 million).
In limited release, Focus Features’ has Wes Anderson’s latest feature, “The Phoenician Scheme,” earning $270,000 across Friday and previews from six venues in Los Angeles and New York. The well-reviewed ensemble adventure, which premiered at Cannes earlier in May, will expand nationwide next week.
English (US) ·