The highly anticipated film “Karate Kid: Legends” has made its debut at the domestic box office, raking in $21 million over the weekend. While this figure represents a decent start, it falls short of initial projections, which estimated an opening of around $25 million from 3,809 theaters across North America. Despite the moderate box office performance, the film has received favorable reviews from audiences, earning an impressive “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. In contrast, critics have been less enthusiastic, with the film holding a 59% average rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Karate Kid: Legends” marks the first theatrical installment of the beloved franchise in 15 years, following the release of the 2010 reboot starring Jackie Chan, which opened to $55 million and ultimately grossed $359 million worldwide. This new film, directed by Jonathan Entwistle, brings together Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio—who famously portrayed Daniel LaRusso in the original 1984 film. The movie carries a relatively modest production budget of $45 million, making it a financially viable project for Sony.
Set three years after the conclusion of the successful spinoff series Cobra Kai, “Karate Kid: Legends” introduces a new student, played by Ben Wang, who becomes the latest protégé of Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Mr. Han (Chan). The franchise has garnered renewed interest following the success of Cobra Kai, which has captivated audiences on YouTube Red and Netflix with its engaging storytelling and nostalgia for the original films.
In its opening weekend, “Karate Kid: Legends” secured the No. 3 position at the box office, unable to surpass Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” reboot, which claimed the top spot for the second consecutive weekend with a robust $63 million from 4,410 screens. Despite a significant drop of 57% from its initial $146 million opening weekend, the live-action remake has still managed to generate an impressive $280 million domestically and $610 million globally after just two weekends.
In second place, “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” added $27.3 million from 3,861 theaters, also experiencing a 57% decline from its Memorial Day weekend launch. This latest entry in Tom Cruise's action-packed franchise has accumulated a total of $122.6 million in North America and $353.8 million worldwide thus far. However, with a staggering production cost of $400 million, it will need to maintain a strong box office presence to recoup its expenses.
Another new release, the supernatural horror film “Bring Her Back”, opened in fifth place with $7 million from 2,449 screens. Critics and audiences alike have praised the film, which follows siblings as they uncover a chilling ritual at their foster mother’s house. This latest offering from directors Danny and Michael Philippou serves as a follow-up to their sleeper hit “Talk to Me”, which had a stronger opening of $10 million and ultimately earned $91 million worldwide.
Meanwhile, director Wes Anderson's new film, “The Phoenician Scheme”, opened in limited release, generating $570,000 from just six screens, averaging an impressive $95,000 per location. This marks the highest screen average of 2025, surpassing A24’s “Friendship”. The film boasts a star-studded cast, including Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, and Benedict Cumberbatch. As the film prepares for a wider release next weekend, it will aim to sustain its enthusiastic start.
Overall, the summer box office is experiencing a resurgence, with total revenues up 25.5% compared to last year, although still trailing 27% behind 2019 levels, according to Comscore. As noted by David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, the industry is enjoying a “boomlet” that began in April with the release of “A Minecraft Movie”. However, he cautions that while momentum is building, it remains fragile as audiences await upcoming blockbuster releases, including “Jurassic World Rebirth,” Brad Pitt’s “F1,” Marvel’s “Fantastic Four: The First Steps,” and “Superman.”
