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New Warner Bros. release Space Jam: A New Legacy rocketed to the top of the North American box office over the weekend, taking in an estimated $31.6 million in the best showing of a family film since Covid first hammered the industry.
The live action/animated movie — a sequel nearly 25 years after the original Space Jam with Michael Jordan — has NBA superstar LeBron James teaming up with Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes characters in a high-stakes basketball game against a rogue artificial-intelligence entity threatening his son.
The film’s surprise showing, despite middling-to-terrible reviews — the New York Post called it an “abomination” — propelled it past last weekend’s leader, Disney superhero film Black Widow.
That Marvel Studios production, starring Scarlett Johansson, took in $25.6 million in the Friday-through-Sunday period, down sharply from its $80.4 million opening, according to industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.
In third place was Sony’s psychological thriller Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, at $8.8 million. Taylor Russell and Logan Miller, reprising their roles in 2019’s Escape Room, face a series of deadly traps and puzzles set by the evil Minos.
Fourth place went to Universal’s F9: The Fast Saga, at $7.6 million, bringing the four-week domestic total of the Vin Diesel/John Cena action thriller to $154 million.
And in fifth was Universal’s animated “Boss Baby: Family Business,” at $4.7 million.
Meantime, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain — the Focus Features/CNN Films movie about the world-traveling chef — had the best opening of a documentary this year, at $1.9 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
The Forever Purge ($4.2 million)
A Quiet Place: Part II ($2.3 million)
Roadrunner ($1.9 million)
Cruella ($1.1 million)
Pig ($945,000)