Box Office: 'Birds of Prey' Lands $4M in Previews

By Anthony D'Alessandro

By Anthony D'Alessandro

The hedgehog narrowly beat the wild dog to claim the top spot at the North American box office over the weekend (February 21-23, 2020).

LOS ANGELES, Feb 16, (Variety.com) – Paramount’s family film “Sonic the Hedgehog” ignited over Presidents Day weekend with $57 million in North America and $100 million globally, the best showing ever for a video game adaptation.

In a noteworthy feat for an original title, Rian Johnson's whodunnit Knives Out has reached the $300 million mark at the worldwide box office.Knives Out's domestic total through Monday stands at $159.1 million, with an international tally of $140.9 million.The crime caper — which first hit theaters in late November — is the second-most successful original movie of 2019 at the global box office behind Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which grossed $374.2 million.

Like renaming an airline in the wake of a disaster, Warner Bros.’ “Birds of Prey” appears to have had its title changed just days after release, when it failed to take flight at the box office on opening weekend.

Oscar-nominated star Margot Robbie won over the audience in 2016's Suicide Squad as Harley Quinn. However, she couldn't lure in moviegoers to buy a ticket to Birds of Prey. The Oscar-nominated actress reprised the DC character for the second time in DCEU and audiences did not seem interested in watching Harley Quinn back in action. Birds of Prey minted $33 million in North America, which is one of the worst openings a DC movie has ever seen in the US.

Fear of the coronavirus increased its impact on the South Korean cinema industry. Films were cancelled and box office revenues dropped for a second weekend.

After the commercial successes of “Wonder Woman,” “Aquaman” and “Joker,” Warner Bros. had been on a hot streak with its DC Universe. Its latest comic-book offering, “Birds of Prey,” seemed to have all the ingredients necessary to continue that trend in the studio’s attempt to fashion an alternative to Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn failed to gain altitude in its box office debut over the weekend, earning a tepid $33.3 million from 4,236 theaters to mark one of the lowest domestic launches in modern times for a studio superhero pic.The female-led film also struggled overseas, where it bowed to $48 million from 78 markets for a global start of $81.3 million.

Warner Bros.’ comic-book adaptation “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” got off to a soft start at the international box office, generating $48 million when it debuted in 78 foreign markets.

LOS ANGELES, Feb 9, (Variety.com) – “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” flew much lower than expected in its debut, collecting just $33.25 million from 4,236 U.S. theaters.

“Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” flew much lower than expected in its debut, collecting just $33.25 million from 4,236 U.S. theaters.

Margot Robbie’s superheroine spinoff “Birds of Prey” is landing with a somewhat disappointing $34 million opening weekend at 4,236 North American sites, estimates showed Saturday.

Margot Robbie’s “Birds of Prey” is set to open well below forecasts, with about $34 million at 4,236 North American sites, early estimates showed on Friday.

By Nancy Tartaglione

Margot Robbie’s “Birds of Prey” flew to $4 million on Thursday night.

February was once considered a box office dead zone. Conventional wisdom mandated that studios release all their tentpoles during the summer or around the holidays to sell tickets. But commercial hits like 2015’s “Fifty Shades of Grey,” 2016’s “Deadpool” and 2018’s “Black Panther” helped buck that notion over the years and encouraged studios to take chances in months far removed from popcorn season and Christmas.