Black Panther kept up its record-setting ways in North American theaters over the weekend, easily defeating a challenge from another Disney product, newly released "A Wrinkle in Time," to again dominate box offices, industry analysts said.
The Disney/Marvel superhero collaboration took in an estimated $41.1 million for the three-day weekend, website Exhibitor Relations reported. That bumped it up to a domestic total of $562 million in its four weeks out, making it the seventh biggest domestic release ever.
The film's opening in China meantime boosted its international takings to $516.6 million, pushing its overall total past the $1 billion mark.
"Panther" stars Chadwick Boseman as the superhero king of a utopian fictional African country. It is now the first movie since "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to top North American box offices for four consecutive weekends.
Marvel Executive producer Nate Moore told SBS News Black Panther was a potential "watershed moment" for the industry.
The importance of the movie has been echoed by Michelle Obama and other critics. DC's Wonder Woman was an enormous success at the box office in 2017 and director Patty Jenkins also tweeted her congratulations to the Black Panther crew.
Ryan Coggler, the director of Black Panther, thanked fans for their support in heartwarming note shared by Marvel Studios.
"A Wrinkle in Time," a science fantasy adventure that celebrates diversity and powerful women, took in $33.3 million for its opening weekend. Analysts said that was something of a letdown for a big-budget Disney film. "Wrinkle" has garnered mixed reviews.
Its director, Ava DuVernay, became the first black woman to helm a movie with a $100 million budget, Hollywood Reporter said. Black Panther, which was also directed by an African American, Ryan Coogler, had nearly twice that budget.
In third place this weekend was new horror film "The Strangers: Prey at Night," from Aviron studios. This sort-of sequel to 2008's "The Strangers" took in $10.5 million. The poorly reviewed movie -- Variety says it serves up "the same old meat-puppet gore and cattle-prod scares" -- stars Christina Hendricks and Martin Henderson as a couple whose house is invaded by three masked men.
Next was Fox spy thriller "Red Sparrow," with Jennifer Lawrence as a Russian ballerina-turned-elite spy. The movie, which took in $8.2 million in its second week out, also stars Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeremy Irons and Charlotte Rampling.
And in fifth spot was comedy thriller "Game Night" from Warner Bros., which netted $7.9 million. The movie, starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, tells the story of six friends who get together for beer and games and stumble into a dangerous reality game.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"Peter Rabbit" ($6.8 million)
"Death Wish" ($6.6 million)
"The Hurricane Heist" ($3.2 million)
"Annihilation" ($3.2 million)
"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" ($2.8 million)
