‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Flies to $88 Million 3-Day Box Office Opening

Disney/Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Brave New World” is providing theaters with the early-year box office infusion that it hasn’t seen in a while, earning an estimated $88 million opening weekend from 4,105 theaters. With Presidents Day estimates included, that figure grows to $100 million over four days.

That is pushing the theatrical market to the best overall weekend it has seen in the first quarter since Presidents Day weekend in 2020, when “Sonic the Hedgehog” led totals to a $163.9 million 3-day, $182.9 million 4-day frame. Current industry estimates for this weekend stand at $155 million 3-day, $176 million 4-day.

But while short-term gains are assured, the longevity of “Captain America: Brave New World” is not. The film received mixed reviews from critics with a 51% Rotten Tomatoes score, and audiences have been as mixed with a B- on CinemaScore and an 80% RT score.

The CinemaScore grade, primarily driven by hardcore MCU fans, is lower than the B given for “The Marvels” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” the latter of which opened to a $106.1 million 3-day opening on Presidents Day weekend 2023 and then dropped nearly 70% in its second weekend. The stronger-than-projected opening weekend for “Brave New World” is also making up for a slightly lower-than-projected $92.4 million overseas opening, putting the global 3-day launch at $180.9 million.

And as strong as this weekend has been for the theatrical market, exhibitors expect that to be counterbalanced by a slower-than-usual March, as films like “Snow White,” “Mickey 17” and “Novocaine” are not expected to match the numbers of last year’s hits like “Dune: Part Two” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” That slowdown could be compounded if “Brave New World” does not have the staying power that Marvel films have historically had.

In second on the charts is Sony/StudioCanal’s “Paddington in Peru,” which is earning a $12.5 million 3-day/$15 million 4-day industry estimated opening. That is consistent with the unadjusted $15 million 4-day opening of “Paddington 2” on MLK weekend 2018.

Like past installments, “Paddington in Peru” is enjoying strong reception from families with an A on CinemaScore to go with a 94% critics Rotten Tomatoes score. Sony is handling distribution on the $90 million StudioCanal production, which has already grossed more than $104 million overseas including $44.9 million in the United Kingdom.

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