Black Panther has been an unstoppable force since it premiered in theatres nearly a month ago. It has even beat out the highly anticipated A Wrinkle in Time from box office glory, which stars some of Hollywood's most sought-after leading ladies including Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and Oprah Winfrey. However, this weekend's biggest release Tomb Raider, starring Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander, is looking to dethrone the current reigning champion of the box office.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is set to accumulate somewhere between $23-25 million from Friday-Sunday haul. However, Black Panther is also projected to gross around $25 million this weekend. If the Ryan Coogler directed film is able to out-earn its latest blockbuster opponent, it will become the first feature length since Avatar to hold onto the top of the box office for five weeks straight.
Reviews for the latest Tomb Raider adaptation are abysmal at best. The film currently holds a 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which basically surmises the project's lacklustre appeal. The critical consensus thus far reads "Tomb Raider reboots the franchise with a more grounded approach and a star who's clearly more than up to the task -- neither of which are well served by an uninspired origin story."
Many video game adaptations have been severely scorned by critics and fans alike, so the fact that Tomb Raider isn't downright disparaged is a success in-and-of itself.