Box Office

“Black Panther” Dominates US Friday Box Office, Poised For Monster Opening Weekend

“Black Panther” enjoyed a mammoth first day at the box office.

The critically acclaimed, eagerly anticipated “Black Panther” predictably conquered the US Friday box office.

“Black Panther” earned a dominant $75.8 million on opening day (Thursday screenings included).

The figure, which ranks as the eighth-greatest single day tally on record, tops that of the day’s #2 film by a factor of 13.

It positions “Black Panther” for a three-day weekend in the $180-190 million range. Should that projection hold, “Black Panther” will deliver the sixth-biggest opening weekend on record.

Analysts meanwhile expect “Black Panther” to clear $210 million by the end of the four-day holiday weekend (President’s Day is on Monday).

“Fifty Shades Freed,” Friday’s #2 film, added $5.7 million to its haul. It should finish the three-day weekend with $16-18 million.

That means “Peter Rabbit” may end up in second place on the weekend chart. While it earned a lesser $4.1 million on Friday, it is on track for a weekend tally in the $16.5-19 million range.

Credited with $2.1 million, “The 15:17 To Paris” grabbed fourth place at the Friday box office.

“Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle” took fifth place with $1.9 million.

— “Early Man,” the only other major new release, struggled on opening day. The film earned just $850,000 from 2,494 screens.

“Samson,” which had a semi-wide release, earned a modest $630,000 from just under 1250 screens.

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson's tenure at Headline Planet dates back to its 2002 origins. He played a pivotal role in the publication's evolution into an entertainment powerhouse. Today, he focuses intently on movie and box office coverage. He also contributes stories on alternative areas like pro wrestling and mixed martial arts. Contact Ben at ben.johnson[at]headlineplanet.com.

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Ben Johnson