‘One Love’ ranks No. 1 at the box office for the second week in a row

LOS ANGELES — The biopic “Bob Marley: One Love” continues to exceed expectations, ranking No. 1 at the box office for a second week in a row, beating out its first two films and Sony’s “Madame Web,” which is still producing below-average numbers.

The Paramount film, starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, grossed $13.5 million in its second week of release. The project, which was produced for approximately 70 million dollars, has already overshadowed this figure by grossing approximately 72 million dollars domestically in North America.

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, it’s an impressive feat for a musical biopic of Marley, focusing on the Rastafarian legend’s story during the making of his 1977 album “Exodus”, leading up to his impressive concert in his native Jamaica.

“Some of his biggest hits came out almost 50 years ago, but his music still resonates in this movie,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at data firm Comscore.

“One Love” earned nearly $2 million more than “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To Hashira Training,” which ranked No. 2. The latest episode of Crunchyroll and Sony’s Japanese anime series debuted with $11.7 million.

“Demon Slayer” had impressive opening numbers from just 1,949 venues — far less than “One Love,” with 3,597 for the faith-based Lionsgate movie “Ordinary Angels,” starring Hilary Swank, and a projected third-place finish at the box office, with 3,020. $6.5 million.

“There may not have been any huge blockbusters lately, but there are some real gems for moviegoers to see,” Dergarabedian said.

All three of those movies performed better than “Madame Web,” which struggled to find its footing after last week’s superhero movie flopped. The Spider-Man spinoff was thought to do strong numbers; especially with Dakota Johnson portraying the film’s lead Marvel character.

But so far, it has failed to live up to expectation, grossing just $6 million in its second week and grossing just over a disappointing $35 million.

Universal’s animated film “Immigration” entered the top five with $3 million after its 10th weekend, bringing its domestic total to $120 million. “Argylle” came in sixth with $2.8 million, narrowly beating “Wonka,” which grossed $2.5 million. Paul King’s musical, starring Timothée Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka, has grossed more than $214 million after 11 weeks.

Ethan Coen’s “Drive Away Dolls” ranked eighth with $2.4 million, behind “The Beekeeper” and the fourth season of “The Chosen,” a Christian series focusing on Jesus Christ.

Dergarabedian said last week was a slow week. But he’s hoping to get a big boost next week with the long-awaited release of the highly anticipated “Dune: Part Two,” which will end his reign at the top with “One Love.”

“It’s the calm before the sandstorm,” he said.

Estimated ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters from Friday through Sunday, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be announced on Monday.

1. “Bob Marley: One Love” $13.5 million.

2. ““Demon Hunter: Kimetsu No Yaiba – To Hashira Training,” $11.5 million.

3. “Ordinary Angels,” $6.5 million.

4. “Madame Web,” $6 million.

5. “Migration,” $3 million.

6. “Argylle,” $2.8 million.

7. “Wonka,” $2.5 million.

8. “Babies in Cars,” $2.4 million.

9. “The Beekeeper,” $1.9 million.

10. “The Chosen,” 4-6. Episodes, $1.7 million.