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The third installment in the “Magic Mike” franchise jumped to the top of the box office this weekend with James Cameron’s double-headed “Avatar: Way of Water” and “Titanic” (yes, “Titanic”), Followed by.
“Magic Mike’s Last Dance” took in $8.2 million in its first weekend in North America, according to studio estimates Sunday. Cameron’s “Avatar” sequel brought in an additional $6.9 million, while the 25th-anniversary rerun of “Titanic” brought in another $6.4 million from Friday to Sunday.
Moviegoing in North America tends to stop on Super Bowl Sunday, and studios respond strategically, often releasing more “women-targeted” films. Star Channing Tatum has also had several movies that have performed well in the Super Bowl/Valentine’s Day corridor, including “The Vow,” “Dear John” and “Dogs.”
“Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” which brought Steven Soderbergh back to the director’s seat, opened in just 1,500 theaters. The film, which stars Tatum as the lovable stripper and introduces Salma Hayek as the wealthy benefactor, is headed straight to HBO Max. But like the “House Party” reboot a few weeks ago, Warner Bros. decided to release it in theaters first, and both sides are trying to refocus on the theater experience and offer exhibitors fresh fare.
The “Magic Mike” franchise has been profitable. In 2012, the first film opened to fewer than 4,000 theaters and grossed an estimated $39.1 million for a worldwide gross of $167.3 million (on a production budget of $7 million). The second installment, XXL, cost slightly more to produce ($14 million) and earned slightly less in 2015 ($122.5 million). The film’s success also spawned a stage show in Las Vegas that later expanded to Miami and London — and ticket sales for “Magic Mike Live” also skyrocketed ahead of the release of “Last Dance.”
“Avatar: The Way of Water” added $25.8 million to global box office receipts in its ninth week, bringing its total to $2.2 billion, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film of all time, trailing only “Titanic.”
“Titanic” was re-released in 2,464 domestic locations this weekend, with Paramount handling North American releases and The Walt Disney Company handling international releases in 51 territories. All told, the film grossed $22.3 million worldwide, with $2 million of that coming from IMAX screens. Titanic has now grossed an estimated $2.2 billion worldwide, maintaining its title as the third-biggest film of all time.
Coming in at No. 4 is the Super Bowl-themed “80 for Brady,” which took in $6 million in its second weekend. Paramount has grossed just under $25 million so far.
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