LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marvel’s first family stumbled at the box office in its second weekend, but still held the No. 1 spot at the box office.
“The Fantastic Four: First Steps” grossed $40 million across 4,125 North American theaters, a drop of 66% from a solid $117.6 million debut. The film was joined in the top three by comedies “The Bad Guys 2” and “The Naked Gun.”
The superhero movie fell significantly more than Marvel’s previous release, “Thunderbolts,” which plunged 55% in its second weekend.
“First Steps” marks the latest big summer-box-office win. It added nearly $40 million internationally in its second weekend, bringing the film’s worldwide total to $369 million. The drop at the domestic box office was surprising given its favorable reviews, said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at data firm Comscore.
Although the opening weekend for the film may have given a strong push toward the summer target of $4 billion, August has begun slowly, he noted.
“It’s a tough challenge, but we can do it. It really means that every movie will have to stand on its own,” Dergarabedian said. “It will be about earning good reviews, about that staying power, that longevity in the market.”
The debuting comedy “The Bad Guys 2” grabbed the second spot at the box office this weekend, taking in $22 million across 3,852 theaters in North America. That lined up with projections and with the first film in the series, which grossed $23 million in 2022. Paramount’s comedy “The Naked Gun,” also in its opening weekend, landed in third place, earning $17 million in 3,344 theaters.
Jim Orr, president of domestic distribution at Universal Pictures, said the solid debut of “The Bad Guys 2,” combined with strong audience reaction scores, “should point to a very long and very successful run not only for the rest of the summer, but, I think, into the fall.”
James Gunn’s “Superman,” which opened four weekends ago and has already surpassed $550 million worldwide, earned $13.8 million domestically this weekend, landing in fourth place. “Jurassic World Rebirth” followed with $8.7 million.
The horror film “Together” delivered a strong debut weekend, placing sixth with $6.8 million domestically, evidence that August is a month for bolder and less conventional movies, Dergarabedian noted.
“That’s what this month is about. It’s not just about the box office,” Dergarabedian said. “It’s also about delivering truly engaging and gratifying cinematic experiences for audiences.”
Dergarabedian said he expects highly anticipated titles arriving in theaters in the coming weeks, including “Freakier Friday” and Zach Cregger’s horror film “Weapons,” to give August the push it needs.
The box office is currently about 9.5% ahead of last year.
The Top 10 Domestic Box Office Films
With final domestic figures being released on Monday, this list reflects estimated Friday-through-Sunday ticket sales at theaters in the United States and Canada, according to Comscore:
1. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” $40 million.
2. “The Bad Guys 2,” $22.2 million.
3. “The Naked Gun,” $17 million.
4. “Superman,” $13.8 million.
5. “Jurassic World Rebirth,” $8.7 million.
6. “Together,” $6.8 million.
7. “F1: The Movie,” $4.1 million.
8. “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” $2.7 million.
9. “Smurfs,” $1.8 million.
10. “How to Train Your Dragon,” $1.4 million.
