NEW YORK (AP) – On a quiet winter weekend at the box office, DreamWorks Animation's “Dogman” chased its own tail and repeated it as a top film in theaters.
Studio estimates that the animated Universal Pictures release, adapted from Dav Pilkey's popular graphic novel series, has collected $13.7 million in ticket sales. Both new releases – the Kefuikuan action film “Love Hurts” and the Valentine's Day-themed slash “Heart Eyes” were pinched between the heels of “The Dog Man.”
Hollywood often punts Super Bowl weekends to small screens. Last year, Apple's derivative “Argylle” debuted on the same weekend. Instead, the film industry is spending more energy on pitching blockbusters in trailers for large-scale football audiences on television.
It wasn't the “Dog Man” banner weekend. It fell sharply, falling 62% over the second weekend. However, the production budget was $40 million, with the “Dog Man” already tallying $54.1 million domestically in two weeks.
The second one came was “Heart Eyes” from Spyglass Media Group, released by Sony. Horror-Rom-Com Mashup won $8.5 million from 3,102 locations. The film, directed by Josh Reuben and starring Oliva Holt and Mason Gooding, had good reviews, but the audience wasn't particularly impressed. Movie fans gave it a “B-” cinema score. Spyglass created the “eye of the heart” for $18 million.
The action comedy from “Love Hurts,” 87 North Productions (“John Wick”, “The Fall Guy”) debuted in 3,055 theatres for just $5.8 million. In his first big film role in his Oscar-winning “Everything All at Alling,” Ke Huy Quan stars as a gentle, managed real estate agent with past hitmen. Co-stars of Ariana Debose. That was also a modest budget of $18 million. However, the audience almost refused the film, giving “Love Hurts” a “C+” Cinemascore.
The next weekend should bring Hollywood to its biggest box office weekend with the release of Marvel's Captain America: Brave New World and Sony's Paddington of Peru.
The final domestic figures will be released on Monday. According to ComScore, ticket sales estimates from Friday to Sunday at US and Canadian theatres:
1. “The Dog Man,” $13.7 million.
2. “Heart Eyes,” $8.5 million.
3. “Love hurts,” $5.8 million.
4. “Mufasa: The Lion King,” $3.9 million.
5. “Companion” $3 million.
6. “One of them,” $3 million.
7. “Become an LED Zeppelin,” $2.6 million.
8. “Flight risk,” $2.6 million.
9. “Sonic the Hedgehog,” $1.8 million.
10. “Moana 3” $1.5 million.
