The R-rated gonzo horror comedy “Cocaine Bear” sniffed up $23.1 million in its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, while Marvel’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” shrank incredibly quickly in its second weekend.
“Quantumania” is still No. But the “Ant-Man” sequel, hit by some of the worst reviews and audience scores in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, dropped 69.7% in its second weekend. This is the worst drop for an MCU film, faster than “Black Widow” (67.8%), the pandemic release that debuted simultaneously at home.
However, Universal Pictures’ “Cocaine Bear” rampaged through the multiplexes, scoring notably above expectations. Made for an estimated $35 million and directed by Elizabeth Banks, “Cocaine Bear” created a lot of buzz just from its made-to-go-viral title and trailer.
“Cocaine Bear,” scripted by Jimmy Warden and produced by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse,” “The Lego Movie”), manages to turn a strange true story into a tongue-in-cheek box office office hit. It is based on the true story of a 175-pound (79-kilogram) black bear that died in the mountains of Georgia in 1985 after eating from a duffle bag of cocaine that fell from a smuggler’s plane. (Smuggler, a former Kentucky narcotics investigator, parachuted to his death in Tennessee.)
The trailer for “Cocaine Bear,” which played before the Super Bowl, was viewed globally by more than 90 million, Universal said, and caught on on social media. But transferring the can-you-believe-it-is-a-real-movie buzz to the box office doesn’t always work. “Snakes on a Plane,” a film widely compared to “Cocaine Bear,” opened to $13.9 million in 2006.
“Audiences are discovering the hysterical comedy that our director Elizabeth Banks has delivered to us,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s head of distribution. “The movie really provides an absurd premise. People want to go out and have fun in the theater.
“Cocaine Bear” managed to overperform despite mixed reviews from critics and a “B-” CinemaScore from audiences. Ticket buyers are 59% male, and 63% are aged 18-34. It added $5.3 million overseas. “Quantumania” easily surpassed “Cocaine Bear” internationally, which added $46.4 million over the weekend.
In just about the epitome of counterprogramming for “Cocaine Bear,” Lionsgate’s “Jesus Revolution” also made a great debut. The film, also inspired by a true story, stars Kelsey Grammer as a California minister and Joel Courtney as a youth minister, and depicts the Christian hippies movement of the late 60s and early 70s. It opened with $15.5 million over the weekend and in previous screenings. Produced by the Kingdom Story Company, “The Jesus Revolution” proved popular with Christian audiences, and early on exceeded expectations. It earned an A+ CinemaScore.
Next week should see a new winner at the box office, with the release of Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. The final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” $32.2 million
2. “Cocaine Bear,” $23.1 million.
3. “Jesus Revolution,” $15.5 million.
4. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $4.7 million.
5. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” $4.1 million.
6. “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” $3 million.
7. “Beat the Cabin,” $1.9 million.
8. “80 for Brady,” $1.8 million.
9. “Gone,” $1 million.
10. “A Man Called Otto,” $850,000.
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