Creed III Knocks Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania Out of Top Spot at the Box Office With Record Opening

Jamie Lovett

03/04/2023 01:36 pm EST

Creed III will take over the top spot at the box office on its opening weekend. The film's debut will deliver the knock to punch to Marvel Studios Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which suffered the biggest box office dropoff in Marvel's history in its second weekend. Creed III is off to the series' best start in theaters. It grossed $22 million on Friday, including $5.45 million in preview screenings. Amazon/MGM is estimating it'll bring in $51.1 million in its first three days, though others are predicting a total as high as $55 million.

Critics are feeling good about Creed III, the first Rocky movie without Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa, praising the performances by leads Michael B. Jordan and Jonathan Majors. The film is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a critics' consensus that reads, "Stepping out from Rocky Balboa's iconic shadow at last, the Creed franchise reasserts its champion status thanks to star Michael B. Jordan's punchy direction and a nuanced heel turn by Jonathan Majors." ComicBook.com's Patrick Cavanaugh gave the film a review score of 4-out-of-5. He writes:

"When audiences first met Adonis, we met a man who felt like he had no other destiny in life than to fight, as it was all he knew as a kid. Nearly a decade later, we see a man who knows he doesn't have to fight anymore, and it's a testament to his, and the franchise's, journey that there is more vulnerability and power in a conversation between two men in a locker room than even the most well-choreographed fight scene. Even if Jordan never continued the character, Creed III can serve as a closing of the book on the figure, thanks to the film showcasing that, just because life throws you emotional hardships, it doesn't mean that you're down for the count."

In addition to starring, Creed III is Jordan's directorial debut. In addition to Jordan and Majors, the film also stars Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad. Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin wrote the screenplay, and Stallone remains a producer on the project, along with Ryan Cooglar, who directed the first Creed.

Also charting this week are Cocaine Bear and Demon Slayer. The full list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows. 

1. Creed III

(Photo: MGM)
  • Opening Weekend
  • Total: $51.1 million

Still dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed is thriving in his career and family life. When Damian, a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces after serving time in prison, he's eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian -- a fighter who has nothing to lose.

Michael B. Jordan directed Creed III from a screenplay written by Keenan Coogler and Zach Baylin. Jordan stars with Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad.

2. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

    (Photo: Marvel Studios)
  • Week Three
  • Weekend: $12 million
  • Total: $186.3 million

Ant-Man and the Wasp find themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures, and embarking on an adventure that pushes them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.

Peyton Reed directed Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania from a screenplay by Jeff Loveness. The film stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, Katy O'Brian, William Jackson Harper, Bill Murray, Michelle Pfeiffer, Corey Stoll, and Michael Douglas, and is playing in theaters now.

3. Cocaine Bear

(Photo: Universal Pictures)
  • Week Two
  • Weekend: $10.6 million
  • Total: $40.8 million

After a 500-pound black bear consumes a significant amount of cocaine and embarks on a drug-fueled rampage, an eccentric gathering of cops, criminals, tourists, and teenagers assemble in a Georgia forest.

Elizabeth Banks directed Cocaine Bear from a screenplay written by Jimmy Warden, loosely based on a true story. The film stars Keri Russell, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Christian Convery, Alden Ehrenreich, Brooklynn Prince, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta.

4. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village-

(Photo: ufotable)
  • Opening Weekend
  • Total: $10 million

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village shows Entertainment District Arc Episodes 10 and 11 featuring the fierce battle between Tanjiro, Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, and their comrades against Upper Six, Daki and Gyutaro in theaters for the first time. Swordsmith Village Arc Episode 1, featuring the encounter of Mist Hashira, Muichiro Tokito and Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji at their newly assigned dispatch location and Upper Rank Demons assembled at the Infinity Castle, is shown for the first time.

Haruo Sotozaki directs, based on the manga series by Koyoharu Gotoge. The English voice cast includes Zach Aguilar, Natsuki Hanae, Aleks Le, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Bryce Papenbrook, Erica Lindbeck, Griffin Burns, and Kira Buckland.

5. Jesus Revolution

    (Photo: Lionsgate)
  • Week Two
  • Weekend: $7.65
  • Total: $29.4 million

In the 1970s, Greg Laurie and a sea of young people descend on sunny Southern California to redefine truth through all means of liberation. Inadvertently, Laurie meets a charismatic street preacher and a pastor who open the doors to a church to a stream of wandering youth. What unfolds is a counterculture movement that becomes the greatest spiritual awakening in American history.

Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle directed Jesus Revolution, which is based on the book of the same name by Greg Laurie and Ellen Santilli Vaughn. The film stars Joel Courtney, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Grace Barlow, Jonathan Roumie, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley.

6. Avatar: The Way of Water

  • Week 12
  • Weekend: $3.3 million
  • Total: $670.3 million

Jake Sully and Ney'tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.

James Cameron directed Avatar: The Way of Water from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The film's cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, and Matt Gerald.

7. Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre

(Photo: Lionsgate)
  • Opening Weekend
  • Total: $3 million

Elite spy Orson Fortune must track down and stop the sale of a deadly new weapons technology wielded by billionaire arms broker Greg Simmonds. Reluctantly teamed up with some of the world's best operatives, Fortune and his crew recruit Hollywood's biggest movie star, Danny Francesco, to help them on their globe-trotting mission to save the world.

Guy Ritchie directed Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies. It stars Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Cary Elwes, Bugzy Malone, and Hugh Grant.

8. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

    (Photo: Dreamworks)
  • Week 11
  • Weekend: $2.35 million
  • Total: $176.7 million

Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burnt through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.

Joel Crawford directed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, with Januel Mercado co-directing, from a screenplay by Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow. Its voice cast includes Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Anthony Mendez.

9. Magic Mike's Last Dance

    (Photo: Warner Bros.)
  • Week Four
  • Weekend: $1.17 million
  • Total: $25.2 million

Mike Lane takes to the stage once again when a business deal that went bust leaves him broke and bartending in Florida. Hoping for one last hurrah, Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite who lures him with an offer he can't refuse -- and an agenda all her own. With everything on the line, he soon finds himself trying to whip a hot new roster of talented dancers into shape.

Steven Soderbergh directed Magic Mike's Last Dance from a screenplay by Reid Carolin. The film stars Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek.

10. 80 for Brady

(Photo: Paramount Pictures)
  • Week Five
  • Weekend: $850,000
  • Total: $38.3 million

Four best friends live life to the fullest when they embark on a wild trip to see their hero, Tom Brady, play in the 2017 Super Bowl.

Kyle Marvin directed 80 for Brady from a screenplay written by Sarah Haskins and Emily Halpern. The film stars Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field.

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