The weekend box office saw a mix of new and old faces.  The latest "Karate Kid" movie, "Legends, " made a decent debut with $21 million.  This was a bit less than expected, but still a solid start.  The film, directed by Jonathan Entwistle, brought back Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan, who first teamed up in the 1984 original.  The movie has a modest budget of $45 million.  It is the first new "Karate Kid" film in 15 years.  The last one, released in 2010, opened with $55 million and ended up making $359 million worldwide.  "Legends" follows the events of the popular "Cobra Kai" series, which wrapped up after six seasons on Netflix.  The movie picked up three years after the "Cobra Kai" finale, with a new student joining Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han.

        Disney's "Lilo & Stitch" reboot continued to dominate the box office, topping the charts for the second weekend in a row with $63 million.  This is a strong showing, considering it's a live-action remake.  The film has made $280 million domestically and $610 million globally after just two weekends.  "Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning" also had a strong weekend, adding $27. 3 million to its total.  The film has made $122. 6 million in North America and $353. 8 million worldwide.  Despite this, the film is one of the most expensive ever made, with a budget of $400 million.  It will need to keep making money to break even.

        Another new release, "Bring Her Back, " opened in fifth place with $7 million.  The supernatural horror film, directed by the Philippou brothers, has been well-received by critics and audiences.  It's a follow-up to their 2022 sleeper hit, "Talk to Me. "  The film tells the story of siblings who uncover a terrifying ritual at their foster mother's home.  It cost $20 million to produce.

        Wes Anderson's latest film, "The Phoenician Scheme, " had a strong limited release, making $570, 000 from just six screens.  This is the highest screen average of the year so far.  The film stars an ensemble cast, including Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, and Benedict Cumberbatch.  It will expand to more theaters next weekend.  The film has also made $6. 2 million internationally.  The box office is currently up 25. 5% from last year, but still down 27% from 2019.  This summer has seen a steady increase in box office revenues, but it's always uncertain how long this will last.  Several big-budget films are set to release soon, including "Jurassic World Rebirth, " "F1, " "Fantastic Four: The First Steps, " and "Superman. "  These films will need to perform well to keep the box office boom going.

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The Box Office Battle: New Releases and Old Favorites

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