Although the bar was set fairly low, Detective Pikachu has managed to claim the title of best ever opening weekend for a video game film. In the US, at least.
According to figures from Box Office Mojo, the film pulled in $58m (£44.5m) during its American debut, earning around $10m more than 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which managed $47.7m (£36.6m). This is not adjusted for inflation, however, so perhaps the classic Lara Croft title would have fared better had it been released in 2019.
Meanwhile, the worldwide figures paint a slightly different story, with Warcraft still comfortably holding onto the title of best video game film opening weekend globally. Detective Pikachu managed a respectable $161m (£123.66) worldwide, but importantly Warcraft earned a whopping $156m (£119.7m) in China in its first five days – even if its American takings totalled a disappointing $24.4m (£18.43) during the same period (via The Guardian).
Source: Eurogamer Detective Pikachu beats Tomb Raider to claim best US opening weekend for video game film