‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ Tops Box Office for Fourth Weekend

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” took down the muted competition, including Universal’s new holiday thriller “Violent Night,” to remain No. 1 at the box office. Now in its fourth weekend of release, the superhero sequel added $17.6 million from 3,855 theaters, bringing its domestic tally to $393.7 million.

“Violent Night,” this weekend’s only new nationwide release, couldn’t muster enough Christmas spirit to take down the powerful Wakandan warriors. The R-rated action comedy, starring David Harbour as a cranky Saint Nick, landed in second place, slightly ahead of expectations with $13.3 million from 3,682 North American cinemas. Heading into the weekend, the film was projected to open to roughly $10 million. Internationally, “Violent Night” added $7.05 million from 72 markets, bringing its global total to $20.35 million. Those ticket sales represent a decent start since the movie only cost $20 million to produce. But overall, it was a quiet weekend at the box office as theaters brace for James Cameron’s long-delayed sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water,” debuting on Dec. 16. “This is a solid opening for an action comedy,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “The film should have room to play for another week and a half before ‘Avatar 2’ takes over.” Tommy Wirkola directed “Violent Night,” which holds a 70% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences seem to be more receptive than critics, awarding the film a “B+” CinemaScore. The movie follows an elite group of mercenaries who break into a family compound on Christmas Eve and hold everyone hostage. But the baddies aren’t prepared for a surprise combatant — Santa Claus, hold the saint.