The China Mail - 'Dog Man' holds N.America lead despite Super Bowl competition

The animated movie, a spinoff from the best-selling "Captain Underpants" series of graphic novels, saw a sharp drop from its opening weekend take of $36 million.

North American theaters generally fare poorly on the Sunday of the annual US Super Bowl football championship, but "Dog Man" has already more than recouped its estimated $40 million production cost, according to Hollywood Reporter.

Second place for the Friday-through-Sunday period, with $8.5 million in ticket sales, was new Sony release "Heart Eyes."

The slasher flick, released just before Valentine's Day, revolves around a killer who wears a heart-shaped mask as he targets couples on that normally romantic holiday. Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding and Jordan Brewster star.

Another new release, Universal's action film "Love Hurts," took in $5.8 million to place third. Ke Huy Quan, who won a supporting actor Oscar in 2022 for his part in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," plays a realtor with a violent past who learns his brother is hunting him down.

Disney animation "Mufasa: The Lion King" came in fourth, at $3.9 million. With global ticket sales totaling $670 million, analysts say the film seems sure to make it past the $700 million mark worldwide.

And in fifth place, down three spots from last weekend, was "Companion," a sci-fi satire from Warner Bros. and New Line, at $3.02 million.

Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher star in the tale about a weekend getaway that gets crazy when a group of friends learn that one guest is a "companion robot."

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"One of Them Days" ($3 million)

"Becoming Led Zeppelin" ($2.6 million)

"Flight Risk" ($2.6 million)

"Sonic the Hedgehog 3" ($1.8 million)

"Moana 2" ($1.5 million)

R.Lin--ThChM