HOLLYWOOD—The comic book adventure “Black Panther” has ruled the box-office since its release on February 16. Not only has it mesmerized moviegoers, but it has broken all sorts of records in the cinematic universe. However, would a remake of a popular video game, “Tomb Raider” find a way to dethrone the box-office titan? No, and I have to say I’m surprised, but not really. For the fifth consecutive weekend, “Black Panther” remained number one at the box-office adding another $27 million to its tally. Since its release in February, the film has earned $605 million.
I mean I have a gut feeling that “Black Panther” will top the box-office next weekend as well. I don’t see it being unearthed from the top spot until we near Easter weekend. I mean the last time I recall a movie having its grip on the box-office for nearly 2 months was 1999’s “The Sixth Sense” which had a stunning twist that had audiences going back again and again to put the pieces of the puzzle back together. Speaking of “Tomb Raider,” the flick debuted in second place with $23.5 million. Not impressive considering the reboot/remake is starring Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander, who is a perfect fit for the role of Lara Croft.
The biggest surprise of the weekend was the debut of “I Can Only Imagine” which impressed with a powerful $17 million in just over 1600 theaters. The film chronicles one of the most popular songs written in the Christian music genre. The fantasy-adventure “A Wrinkle in Time,” which debuted in second place last weekend dropped to fourth place with $16.6 million to bring its domestic tally to over $61 million.
Also debuting in the top five was the teen dramedy “Love, Simon” with an impressive $11.5 million. The film has received rave reviews and is drawing strong word-of-mouth buzz. The movie starring Nick Robinson landed in fifth place. This weekend the pickings will be slim yet again in theaters as the only new release worth discussing is the sequel to the 2013 robot adventure, “Pacific Rim Uprising.” Does it have a chance of beating “Black Panther?” I don’t think so, so don’t expect “Black Panther” to be dethroned until Tyler Perry’s “Acrimony” hits theaters on March 30.
