'Shazam!' Bests Newcomers With $25.1M Second Weekend

NEW YORK — A quartet of newcomers in movie theatres couldn’t shake “Shazam!” from the top spot, as the superhero comedy led the box office for the second straight weekend with an estimated $25.1 million in ticket sales.

Lionsgate’s “Hellboy” remake has been expected to vie with “Shazam!” on the weekend. But on the heels of terrible reviews, it flopped with $12 million.

That allowed the body-swap comedy “Little” to move into second place with a strong $15.5 million opening. The film stars 14-year-old Marsai Martin, along with Regina Hall and Issa Rae.

The animated Laika Studios release “Missing Link” disappointed with a $5.8 million debut. The college romance “After” opened with $6.2 million.

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press