LeBron’s 'Space Jam 2’ surpasses 'Black Widow' at box office
This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Lebron James in a scene from "Space Jam: A New Legacy." (AP Photo)


Continuing in the footsteps of Michael Jordan, "Space Jam: A New Legacy" tells the story of LeBron James, who teams up with the members of the Looney Tunes to save his son, who is imprisoned in a digital world. The Tune Squad of the new standalone sequel surprisingly ruled over the court and box office charts this weekend. In an unexpected win, the movie debuted to $31.6 million in ticket sales.

The better-than-expected start for "Space Jam 2" pushed last weekend's champion, Disney and Marvel's blockbuster "Black Widow," to second place on box office charts with $25 million. Critics rebuffed "Space Jam: A New Legacy" but audiences appeared to embrace the film, giving it an "A-" CinemaScore. "Space Jam 2" played in 3,965 cinemas in North America while being available on HBO Max at no extra charge to subscribers.

This image released by Warner Bros. Entertainment shows Lebron James in a scene from "Space Jam: A New Legacy." (AP Photo)

Sony's horror thriller "Escape Room: Tournament of Champions" also opened in third place with $8.4 million from 2,815 locations. Though on par with industry expectations, its three-day debut marks a steep decline from its predecessor, 2019's "Escape Room," which debuted to $18 million and ended its box office run with $57 million. The sequel cost $15 million to produce, an increase from the first film's $9 million price tag.

At No. 4, Universal's "Fast and Furious" sequel "F9" pulled in $7.6 million in its fourth weekend of release, bringing its overall domestic tally to $154 million. Another Universal title, "The Boss Baby: Family Business," rounded out the top five, generating $4.7 million over the weekend. In total, the animated sequel to 2017's "Boss Baby" has made $44 million in theaters while playing simultaneously on the nascent streaming service Peacock.