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A Wrinkle in Time Beats Black Panther at Friday Box Office
Black Panther was knocked down to second place at the domestic box office on Friday thanks to the release of A Wrinkle in Time, which happens to be yet another Disney film. Marvel’s Black Panther – directed by Ryan Coogler and based on a script from Coogler and screenwriter Joe Robert Cole, and starring Chadwick Boseman as the eponymous hero – has been dominating at the worldwide box office these past few weeks and is on the verge of crossing the billion-dollar mark. But its box office reign may be coming to an end.
Directed by Ava DuVernay (Selma) from a script by Jennifer Lee (Frozen) and Jeff Stockwell (Bridge to Terabithia), Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time is based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Madeleine L’Engle. The film was originally commissioned by Disney in 2010 following the highly successful release of Tim Burton’s live-action Alice in Wonderland movie. It stars Storm Reid, Chris Pine, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling, among others. Unfortunately, despite a well-rounded cast and some truly emotional scenes, the film didn’t translate well onto the big screen. A Wrinkle in Time has earned generally negative reviews from both critics and audiences alike, and it’s sitting at a 42 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, the film has an audience – and that audience just helped it knock down the world’s biggest movie right now: Black Panther.
A Wrinkle in Time grossed an estimated $10.2 million on Friday, which includes the $1.3 million it pulled in from its Thursday night previews. That number is lower than its originally estimated $13 million box office haul, but it’s just enough to put it past Black Panther‘s estimated $10 million gross on Friday. What that means is A Wrinkle in Time has become the first movie to surpass Black Panther at the domestic box office since the Marvel film’s debut three weeks ago.
While A Wrinkle in Time scored a narrow win over fellow Disney film Black Panther at the Friday box office, it seems its win was just a slight hiccup in Black Panther‘s overall run. The Marvel film is still expected to take the weekend at the domestic box office and cross the billion-dollar threshold worldwide on Saturday thanks to its release in China (the world’s second-largest moviegoing market and a significant supporter of Marvel Studios films). Unfortunately, despite its cast and its well-intentioned themes, A Wrinkle in Time is looking at a disappointing opening weekend total of approximately $33 million, which is far less than its $100 million production budget.
It’s too early to tell if A Wrinkle in Time will become a box office flop for Disney. But considering that Black Panther is still earning big bucks, not to mention that Warner Bros.’ Tomb Raider reboot hits theaters next weekend, A Wrinkle in Time‘s chances at becoming a box office hit aren’t looking good… at all. For now, it seems that Black Panther lost the battle for the box office but not the war, which makes sense since Wakanda has never been conquered before.
