Magic Mike’s Last Dance wins at the box office this weekend

Magic Mike’s Last Dance grossed $8.2 million in its first weekend in North American theaters, the studio estimated on Sunday. Cameron’s “Avatar” sequel grossed another $6.9 million, while the 25th anniversary re-release of “Titanic” grossed $6.4 million from Friday through Sunday.

North American moviegoing typically grinds to a halt on Super Bowl Sunday, and studios are reacting strategically, often releasing films more geared towards women. Star Channing Tatum also had several films that did well in the Super Bowl/Valentine’s Day corridor, including The Vow, Dear John, and Dog.

“This is not known as the highlight of the football weekend for the cinemas. But there are people who want to go to the movies, even on Super Bowl weekend,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “And that’s perfect counter-programming.”

Magic Mike’s Last Dance, which put Steven Soderbergh back in the director’s chair, was given a modest theatrical release in just 1,500 theaters. Starring Tatum as the lovable male stripper and introducing a wealthy benefactor played by Salma Hayek, the film should go straight to HBO Max. But as with the House Party reboot a few weeks ago, Warner Bros. flipped the switch and chose to go to the theater with both first, to refocus on the theatrical experience and bring fresh fare to exhibitors.

The Magic Mike franchise was a profitable one. In 2012, the first film opened in nearly 4,000 theaters for approximately US$39.1 million and is on track to gross US$167.3 million worldwide (versus a production budget of US$7 million). The second, “XXL”, was made for a little more ($14 million) and grossed a little less ($122.5 million) in 2015. The films’ success also spawned a stage show in Las Vegas, which has since expanded to Miami and London – in the lead up to the release of Last Dance, ticket sales for Magic Mike Live also surged.

According to Entertainment Trades, this latest installment reportedly had a much larger production budget of around $40 million.

“Avatar: The Way of Water” added $25.8 million worldwide in its ninth weekend, taking its total gross to $2.2 billion and maintaining its place as the fourth-biggest film release of all time, but with “Titanic” unlocks.

Titanic was re-released in 2,464 domestic locations this weekend, with Paramount handling the North American release and The Walt Disney Co. handling the international launch in 51 territories. Overall, the film earned $22.3 million worldwide, with $2 million from IMAX screens. Titanic has now earned an estimated $2.2 billion worldwide and retained its title as the third-biggest film of all time.

In fourth place was Super Bowl-themed “80 for Brady” with $6 million in its second weekend. The Paramount release has grossed nearly $25 million to date. M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin,” a Universal release, rounded out the top five at $5.5 million.

“Super Bowl weekend is usually slow for cinemas and this one is no exception, but with ‘Ant-Man,’ help is on the way,” said Dergarabedian. “It will set off a chain reaction that should continue throughout the year.”

The Marvel/Disney film Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hits theaters on February 17th.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday in US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore, with Wednesday through Sunday in parentheses. The final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” $8.2 million.

2. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $6.9 million.

3. “Titanic”, $6.4 million.

4. “80 for Brady,” $6 million.

5. “Knock at the Cabin”, $5.5 million.

6. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $5.5 million.

7. “A Man Called Otto,” $2.6 million.

8. “Missing,” $2.6 million.

9. “M3GAN”, $2.4 million.

10. “Plane,” $1.2 million.

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