Punisher Earns $14MM in Marvel’s First #2 Finish
The Punisher met Marvel’s box office expectations over the weekend but also became the company’s first second-place debut weekend finish among its recent super-hero offerings.
The Punisher, starring Thomas Jane and John Travolta, made a respectable $14 million this weekend, coming in second behind Kill Bill Volume 2 which grossed
$25.5 million.
Lion’s Gate execs and Marvel Studios’ Avi Arad said they were "very pleased" with the results given the film’s moderate low $30 million budget and lesser known lead character.
"It's a terrific opening for a reasonably priced movie with one of our non-superhero characters," Arad told Variety. "We feel this is a business model that's worth pursuing."
However, It was the first No. 2 opening for a Marvel pic after seven No. 1 debuts.