Despite the presence of a wannabe blockbuster and franchise spark with Gods Of Egypt, the American box office once again belonged to Deadpool, which cruised to another easy win in its third weekend on release. The Merc with a Mouth added $31.5 million across the three days, according to studio estimates.
That boost puts the movie past the $285 million mark in a short space of time, and thanks to healthy overseas business, Deadpool now has more than $609 million in the bank. Which is a lot healthier than Gods Of Egypt, which promised spectacle, CGI and Gerard Butler shouting, but has been derailed by complaints about its lack of diversity and some awful reviews in the US. The action adventure story earned a paltry $14 million for second place in the States, and with initial overseas earnings, it has taken in $52.2 million. It'll have to hope its global reception improves, as it has a $140 million production budget to make back.
Kung Fu Panda 3 fell to third place from second, adding $9 million to its total, while Risen slipped one place to fourth in its second weekend, taking home $7 million. In fifth, we find the second of the week's newcomers, Eddie The Eagle, as the inspiration based-on-truth tale took in $6.3 million. Which almost feels right given Eddie's usual level of success at the Olympics. Still, it's not a bad start for a film about a man who doesn't exactly have the highest profile in the States, and it'll likely earn even more when it arrives in the UK this April.
John Hillcoat's crime thriller Triple 9 struggled, arriving sixth with $6.1 million. How To Be Single was down to seventh, earning $5.1 million, while The Witch fell to eighth and $5 million. Jesse Owens drama Race stumbled to ninth and $4.2 million and The Revenant hoped to enjoy a vague Oscar weekend boost, yet still slipped a place to 10th with $3.8 million.