‘Den of Thieves 2’ Steals Box Office Crown With $15 Million, Robbie Williams Biopic ‘Better Man’ Tanks With $1 Million Debut

'Den of Thieves 2' tops box office with $15 million, while 'Better Man' earns $1 million, falling short of expectations.

: Lionsgate's 'Den of Thieves 2: Pantera' debuted at number one at the box office with $15.5 million from 3,008 theaters, nearly matching the original's $15.2 million. Paramount's 'Better Man', starring Robbie Williams portrayed by a CGI monkey, opened with $1 million across 1,291 venues. The biopic struggled despite the upward trend of musical biopics, resulting in poor commercial performance even internationally. Other film releases like Disney's 'Moana 2' progressed towards the $1 billion mark, while awards contenders like 'The Brutalist' attracted attention.

Lionsgate scored a hit with 'Den of Thieves 2: Pantera,' a sequel that grossed $15.5 million in its opening weekend, securing the top spot at the box office. With a $40 million production budget, it opened to positive audience feedback despite mixed critic reviews, clocking a B+ on CinemaScore and a 58% on Rotten Tomatoes.

In stark contrast, Paramount's 'Better Man,' helmed by Michael Gracey and featuring a CGI version of Robbie Williams as a chimpanzee, performed poorly. The film grossed only $1 million in the U.S. and faced a similar reception overseas, with $1.9 million in its first weekend across the pond, casting doubt on its ability to recover its $110 million production cost.

Despite this, biopics remain prominent, illustrated by 'The Brutalist,' a three-hour epic earning over $1.38 million from limited release. Meanwhile, Disney's 'Moana 2' neared the $1 billion worldwide revenue mark, and 'Sonic the Hedgehog 3' also performed well in the global market. Weather incidents, however, notably impacted movie attendance, contributing to a 28% revenue drop compared to the same period last year.