T’Challa has finally been dethroned at the North American box office as Legendary Pictures’ sci-fi action sequel Pacific Rim Uprising knocked Black Panther down to second place, taking top spot with $28 million domestically, and a worldwide opening weekend of $150.5 million.
Uprising, the follow-up to Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 blockbuster, grossed $122.5 million, including a solid $64 million in China – the market that served as the biggest home to the original film, and the main reason we got this sequel in the first place.
The first Pacific Rim grossed $411 million worldwide on a budget of $190 million. The sequel clocks in cheaper at $150 million, and Deadline is reporting that the Steven S. DeKnight-helmed movie will need to hit around $350 million globally to break even.
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews of Pacific Rim Uprising here, here and here
SEE ALSO: Check out our exclusive interview with Pacific Rim Uprising director Steven S. DeKnight
Meanwhile, despite Black Panther slipping to second in North America, Marvel is celebrating a box office milestone with the Ryan Coogler-directed solo film having overtaken The Avengers to become the highest-grossing superhero movie of all time in the United States.
The globe-spanning conflict between otherworldly monsters of mass destruction and the human-piloted super-machines built to vanquish them was only a prelude to the all-out assault on humanity in Pacific Rim Uprising.
John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)—who is leading a brave new generation of pilots that have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.
Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (The Fate of the Furious’ Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (newcomer Cailee Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.
Pacific Rim Uprising sees Steven S. DeKnight (Daredevil) directing a cast that includes John Boyega (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Adria Arjona (True Detective), Scott Eastwood (Suicide Squad), Cailee Spaeny (Counting to 1,000), Levi Meaden (Aftermath), Karan Brar (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Nick Tarabay (Spartacus), Zhang Jin (Ip Man 3), Mackenyu (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure) and Jing Tian (Police Story: Lockdown), while Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Burn Gorman reprise their roles from the first film.
