Creed III punched above its weight at the domestic box office in its first weekend in theaters. The MGM release knocked Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania out of first place and far surpassed both industry expectations and the opening weekends of the first two movies in the franchise. Playing in 4,007 locations in North America, Creed III earned an estimated $58.7 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, after analysts had predicted an opening in the $30 million range, the AP reports. The film, which pits his character Adonis against a childhood friend, Dame, is Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut. It's the first in the Rocky/Creed films to not feature Sylvester Stallone, who chose not to return because of creative differences.
Strong reviews helped Creed III, which is sitting at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences gave it an A- CinemaScore. It's the most expensive Creed film, with a reported production budget of $75 million; the others cost $35 million and $50 million. Internationally, Creed III earned $41.8 million from 75 markets, making its global debut $100.4 million. The film's success bodes well for other releases coming in March, per the AP, including John Wick Chapter 4 and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
Below are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
- Creed III, $58.7 million.
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, $12.5 million.
- Cocaine Bear, $11 million.
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba–To The Swordsmith Village, $10.1 million.
- Jesus Revolution, $8.7 million.
- Avatar: The Way of Water, $3.6 million.
- Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, $3.2 million.
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, $2.7 million.
- Magic Mike's Last Dance, $1.2 million.
- 80 for Brady, $845,000.
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