Captain America Takes a Plunge in Second Weekend as The Monkey Boosts Neon’s Winning Streak

Despite achieving the top spot at the box office in its second week, “Captain America: Brave New World” faced a staggering 68% decline in ticket sales, raking in $28.2 million according to studio estimates released Sunday. The film had debuted strongly with $100 million over four days, indicating its popularity has sharply waned.

This drop is reminiscent of other recent Marvel Cinematic Universe titles, such as “The Marvels,” which fell 78%, and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” with a 70% drop. Critics have panned “Brave New World,” and audience reaction has also been tepid, reflected in its “B-” CinemaScore. Many fans had hoped this installment could reinvigorate the Marvel franchise, yet it seems to further underscore the struggles of a once-dominant brand since “Avengers: Endgame.”

Internationally, the film has amassed $289.4 million worldwide, nearing $150 million from overseas markets. With limited competition from other major releases in the coming weeks, it might hold onto its No. 1 position for a while longer.

The weekend’s standout new release was Oz Perkins’ “The Monkey,” an adaptation of a Stephen King short story. It debuted with $14.2 million, marking a commendable second-best opening for indie distributor Neon, following the successful “Longlegs,” which opened with $22.4 million last year. Neon also celebrated its awards contender “Anora,” which picked up accolades at the Independent Spirit Awards, leading up to the Oscars.

In “The Monkey,” starring Tatiana Maslany and Theo James, audiences encounter an eerie old monkey toy discovered in an attic. While critical reception has been fairly positive with a 77% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences gave it a C+ CinemaScore. Neon has gained traction with their unique promotional strategies, including a funeral premiere in Los Angeles and fan screenings in Hollywood Cemetery.

In contrast, Lionsgate’s “The Unbreakable Boy” struggled significantly, managing only $2.5 million across 1,687 theaters. This Christian-themed film explores the lives of parents who discover their son’s autism and brittle bone disease.

The family-friendly “Paddington in Peru” dropped to third place in its second weekend, earning $6.5 million to bring its two-week total to $25.2 million. Its international performance remains strong, surpassing $125 million globally.

Animated film “Ne Zha 2” continued to impress, earning $3.1 million domestically while grossing an impressive $1.7 billion in China this month, setting several box office records and becoming the highest-grossing animated film ever, overtaking “Inside Out 2.”

The weekend box office figures reflect estimated ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday, with final numbers expected to be released Monday.

The current box office top five includes: “Captain America: Brave New World,” $28.2 million; “The Monkey,” $14.2 million; “Paddington in Peru,” $6.5 million; “Dog Man,” $5.9 million; “Ne Zha 2,” $3.1 million.