In a surprising upset, Space Jam: A New Legacy is set to conquer Marvel’s Black Widow at the weekend box office, raking in a projected 3-day gross of $32 million.
The basketball movie, which stars LeBron James, Don Cheadle, and Zendaya is a standalone sequel to the classic 1996 film Space Jam. According to Variety, It brought in around $13.1 million from 3,965 locations on Friday alone, securing it as Warner Bros. largest pandemic release. It was also the largest pandemic opening for a family film. The film follows the legendary basketball player as he teams up with signature Looney Tunes characters to save his son from a menacing AI.
Meanwhile, last weekend’s box office winner Black Widow experienced a disheartening 80% decline in ticket sales, raking in a mere $8 million from over 4,000 theaters on Friday. The superhero film, which stars Scarlett Johansson, is expected to bring in around $24.6 million this weekend, bringing the film’s box office total to $130.3 million.
The third biggest film of the weekend is set to be the psychological thriller Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, which earned $3.815 million from 2,815 theaters on Friday.
The release of Space Jam: A New Legacy also spawned a ton of unique merchandise, including dog leashes and Apotheke candles. “The goal was to touch into some nostalgia brands and those we knew this generation could relate to, and that could offer something unique as it relates to the IP,” president of WarnerMedia Global Brands and Experience Pam Lifford told WWD when discussing the unique collaborative partners for the film. “Because it’s a global film, we had the ability to do that deep and broad. Our goal is not just to create stuff, it has to be meaningful and additive to the IP and complementary to each other.”
