Another year, another animated box office bomb for Lionsgate. Early Man–the new Aardman comedy which was well-received by critics–opened to only $3 million on more than 2,000 screens, Box Office Mojo is reporting. The film faced a glut of competition in the family market, including Peter Rabbit (which continued to do well), as well as the super leggy blockbusters The Greatest Showman and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (with both of which making more than Early Man during their ninth weekend of release).
The big story, however, was Black Panther, which absolutely demolished expectations with a massive debut of $192 million. The critically adored film also received a rare “A+” CinemaScore, meaning that word-of-mouth and repeat business could be great. Final figures are due tomorrow.