LOS ANGELES -- Walt Disney Co. held a red carpet premiere for its action epic "Mulan" on Monday, pushing ahead with the movie's rollout even though the coronavirus spread will keep the film out of China, the second-largest film market, indefinitely.
At the moment, film studios have decided the show must go on at movie theaters in most of the world. The major exception is James Bond thriller "No Time to Die," which producers moved to November from April.
Studio executives are closely watching the spread of the coronavirus and the upcoming film calendar. Summer blockbuster season is scheduled to kick off May 1 with Disney's Marvel adventure "Black Widow," followed by a new "Fast and Furious" spectacle from Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, a "Top Gun" sequel from ViacomCBS Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, and other big-budget action flicks.
If the coronavirus keeps people at home or shuts more theaters, it would threaten box office receipts during Hollywood's most lucrative season. Movie theaters are closed across China and Italy and in part of France.
The situation puts movie studios in "uncharted waters," said Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution at AT&T Inc's Warner Bros. studio.
Warner Bros. has not delayed any film openings, Goldstein said, "but we have an open mind. We will have to look at everything and see how it unfolds."
The National Association of Theatre Owners said moviegoing remained healthy in most areas and cinemas will remain open "in line with local conditions."
This past weekend, ticket sales in the United States and Canada, the world's biggest box office market, rose 1.2 percent from a week earlier to $100.7 million, according to measurement firm Comscore.
"Right now, I haven't seen any discernible impact at the (U.S. and Canadian) box office," said Comscore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
"Mulan," a $200-million live-action remake of Disney's animated classic, has been expected to rank as one of the company's biggest hits of the year.
The movie was tailored to appeal especially to the Chinese market. The story centers around a Chinese heroine, features an all-Asian cast, and was filmed partly in China. The central character is played by Yifei Liu, a film and TV actress well known in China.
It is unclear when Chinese movie theaters will re-open. The movie is set to debut in the United States on March 27.
"My heart goes out to everybody in China and around the world that is affected," "Mulan" director Niki Caro said on the red carpet on Monday. "When we do have the opportunity to bring this movie back home to China, it's going to be the most wonderful celebration."
"Mulan" was made for "a global audience," producer Chris Bender said at the premiere. "We want everybody to see it."
Dergarabedian said "Mulan" will be an important test of moviegoing amid the coronavirus outbreak. "This is a situation that is changing day by day," he said.
In the meantime, studios are moving ahead. On Monday, Disney released a new trailer for "Black Widow" starring Scarlett Johansson as the popular Avengers character. The trailer said the movie's release date remained May 1.
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LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) - Five years after Angelina Jolie’s “Maleficent” cast a spell over the box office, the villainous enchantress has returned to the top of domestic charts. Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” a sequel to 2014’s fantasy adventure based on the “Sleeping Beauty” sorceress, debuted to $36 million from 2,790 North American theaters, nearly half of what the first movie made in its inaugural weekend ($69 million).
Despite opening below projections heading into the weekend, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” easily towered over competition including holdover from Warner Bros.’ “Joker” and newcomer Sony’s “Zombieland: Double Tap.” The “Maleficent” follow-up did benefit as one of the few offerings catering to younger female moviegoers in a marketplace that’s been largely dominated by male-skewed titles like “Joker” and Paramount’s “Gemini Man.” Women represented 56% of ticket buyers, about 50% of which were under the age of 25.
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” marks the lowest opening weekend of the year for Disney and will now rely on the international box office to recoup its $185 million budget. The film had much more promising showing overseas, lifting off with $117 million for a global start of $150 million. The original pulled in an impressive $517 million from foreign markets and another $241 million from the domestic market.
Elle Fanning also returned for the sequel, joining newcomers to the series Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Skrein and Chiwetel Ejiofor. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” was directed by Joachim Ronning (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tell No Tales”).
Fellow new release “Zombieland: Double Tap” launched at No. 3 with a better-than-expected $26.7 million and should continue to build momentum in coming weeks as Halloween nears. The original “Zombieland” premiered to $24 million in 2009 and ended its box office run with a solid $102 million globally. Directed by Ruben Fleischer, the zombie comedy reunites stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin and Bill Murray. Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, Luke Wilson and Thomas Middleditch joined the cast. “Zombieland 2” cost $42 million to make, roughly double what the studio spent on the original ($23 million).
After its two-week reign atop domestic box office charts, “Joker” slid to second place and added $29 million in its third weekend of release. That puts the dark supervillain origin story — starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips — close to the $250 million mark in North America, with ticket sales hitting $247 million. Overseas, “Joker” has scared up a mighty $490 million for a worldwide bounty of $737.5 million.
In other milestones, STX and Lorene Scafaria’s “Hustlers” crossed the coveted $100 million benchmark at the domestic box office. After six weeks in theaters, “Hustlers” pulled in another $2 million, boosting its haul to $101.8 million in North America and $128.8 million globally.
Meanwhile, Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey” has surpassed $88 million in the States and now stands as the studio’s highest-grossing movie ever at the domestic box office, a record previously held by “Brokeback Mountain” with $83 million.
Among awards season hopefuls, Fox Searchlight’s “Jojo Rabbit” bowed with a strong $350,000 from five theaters in New York and Los Angeles, averaging $70,000 from each location. Written and directed by Taika Waititi (who also stars in the film as an absurdist imaginary Adolf Hitler), “Jojo Rabbit” is set during World War II and follows a young boy eager to join the Hitler Youth, who discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Critics have been mostly impressed with “Jojo Rabbit” (it holds a 77% on Rotten Tomatoes), while audiences have awarded it with an A CinemaScore.
“There are many reasons to be very optimistic about the future of ‘Jojo Rabbit,’” said Frank Rodriguez, Fox Searchlight’s president of domestic distribution. “Notably, the very good performance at the box office this weekend, the excellent CinemaScore of A, and the interest that we see from exhibitors and moviegoers who are eager to play and see the film in the coming weeks.”
“Jojo Rabbit,” based on the novel “Caging Skies,” will continue its paced rollout next weekend in eight new markets, including Denver, Austin, Phoenix, Washington DC, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco and Toronto. The studio is aiming for a nationwide release by Nov. 8. The cast includes Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson and Sam Rockwell.
Elsewhere, Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse” took in $419,764 from eight venues. The darkly comedic drama, led by Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, will continue to expand nationwide next weekend, where it will play on 500 screens.
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LOS ANGELES, (Variety.com) - Joaquin Phoenix is king of the North American box office once again as “Joker” scores an easy victory in its second weekend with $55 million at 4,374 sites.
“Joker” dominated a trio of new entries with animated comedy “The Addams Family” leading the rest of pack with $30.3 million at 4,007 venues, topping forecasts. Will Smith’s “Gemini Man” wound up under expectations with $20.5 million at 3,642 locations. Adam DeVine’s artificial intelligence comedy “Jexi” generated little interest with $3.1 million at 2,332 screens.
“Joker” showed plenty of traction, declining only 43% from its impressive opening of $96.2 million, the fifth-largest domestic launch of 2019 despite worries about the negative impact of the film’s darker themes. Moviegoers have stayed strongly engaged with a 10-day total of more than $192 million.
The psychological thriller has already become hugely profitable for Warner Bros., which partnered with Village Roadshow and Bron on the $55 million project. And with a solid international performance of $351 million, “Joker” has hit $543 million at the worldwide box office in less than two weeks.
“The Addams Family,” handled through MGM’s United Artists Releasing, had been projected to earn $21 million to $27 million. The PG film, which has been marketed toward family audiences, follows Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday, Pugsley and Uncle Fester as they bring their love of the macabre to 21st century life in New Jersey.
Pre-release forecasts had placed “Gemini Man” between $24 million and $29 million, but competition from “Joker” plus downbeat reviews — the film currently sits at 26% on Rotten Tomatoes — yielded a disappointing result, given the $138 million price tag for Paramount, Skydance Media, Fosun and Alibaba. The film follows Will Smith who battles a younger clone of himself, which director Ang Lee achieved through hyperrealistic visuals.
“Jexi” opened at the lower end of modest expectations. Adam DeVine stars as a man addicted to his phone, whose life changes thanks to a digital life coach named Jexi. The movie is the last theatrical release by CBS Films before it’s absorbed into CBS Corporation’s Entertainment Group.
The top two films continue the recent trend of solid overall performances in North America, according to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with Comscore.
“‘Joker’ continues to enthrall audiences, spark conversation and generate interest as reflected by a very modest drop of 43% in its second weekend,” he said. “‘The Addams Family’ found favor with family audiences that were excited by the Halloween season friendly and nostalgia generating animated film.”
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LOS ANGELES -- Disney's live-action "Aladdin" is flying high with an estimated $105 million in North America during the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend.
It's the sixth-highest Memorial Day weekend total ever, topping the 2011 mark of $103.4 million for "The Hangover Part II." The top total came in 2007, when "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" took in $139 million in its first four days. "Aladdin" is also dominating moviegoing internationally with $121 million in 56 markets.
"Aladdin" has outperformed Disney's pre-opening domestic projections, which were in the $75 million to $85 million range, taking in $86.1 million in its first three days. The reboot of the original 1992 animated movie -- which generated $502 million in worldwide box office -- stars Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Will Smith as the Genie, Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Marwan Kenzari as Jafar. Guy Ritchie directed "Aladdin," produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich.
Comscore's PostTrak general audience survey found that 67% of patrons said they would "definitely recommend" the film to their friends. Notably, 39% said their affection for the original was their primary reason for seeing the film, a high percentage that reflects moviegoers' love for the "Aladdin" brand and the characters in the film.
"A very strong 22% said they would see the film again in theaters -- much higher than the norm of 14%," noted Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore's senior media analyst.
Comscore estimated that total domestic business for the four-day weekend was $226 million. That was about $1.8 million shy of the total for the same frame last year, when "Solo: A Star Wars Story" launched with $103 million. The top Memorial Day weekend took place in 2013 when "Fast and Furious 6" launched and North American moviegoing totaled $314 million for the four days.
"A very solid Memorial Day weekend was led by the bigger-than-expected performance of Disney's 'Aladdin' conjured up huge numbers of moviegoers looking for the perfect family-friendly treat over the extended holiday weekend," he said.
Sony's launch of horror-thriller "Brightburn" should pull in about $9 million for the holiday weekend to finish fifth and United Artists-Annapurna's teen comedy "Booksmart" will open in sixth at around $8 million. Both were positioned as counter-programmers to "Aladdin" and finished slightly below forecasts.
Lionsgate's second session of "John Wick: Chapter 3" should be runner-up with $30.5 million following its surprisingly strong opening of $56.8 million. The actioner will wind up the holiday weekend with $107 million domestically.
Disney's fifth frame of "Avengers: Endgame" will finish third in the $22 million range, increasing its haul to about $803 million domestically by the end of Memorial Day. "Endgame" trails only "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in domestic gross, with the space saga having grossed $936 million.
Warner Bros.' third weekend of "Pokemon Detective Pikachu" will follow in fourth with about $17 million. The family adventure will finish the weekend at the $120 million mark in North America.
Overall moviegoing for 2019 has hit $4.34 billion as of Sunday, down 10% from the same point last year. The lag is due to a dismal performance during the first two months of this year.
"Aladdin" is the third biggest launch of 2019, following the record-setting $357 million for "Avengers: Endgame" and $153 million for "Captain Marvel."
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LOS ANGELES -- Disney's "Avengers: Endgame" continues its unprecedented box office run, assembling another $145 million at the domestic box office during its second weekend in theaters.
"Avengers: Endgame" now stands as the second-biggest movie of all time with $2.188 billion worldwide. The Marvel juggernaut became the fastest film to gross $2 billion globally in just 11 days, crushing "Avatar's" record of 47 days. It has now generated $619 million at the domestic box office and $1.56 billion internationally.
In North America, "Avengers: Endgame" dipped 59% from its opening weekend. That wasn't enough to secure the biggest second weekend of all time, a record still held by "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" with $149 million. However, it passed "Avengers: Infinity War" ($114 million) to hold the second-biggest weekend ever. Only six films have ever surpassed $100 million in their second weekends.
While "Avengers: Endgame" continues to be the de facto choice among moviegoers, a number of brave studios opened new movies to mixed results.
"The Intruder," a psychological thriller from Sony and Screen Gems, fared the best among newcomers. It debuted in second place, amassing $11 million from 2,222 North American locations. That's a solid start since the studio shelled out $8 million to produce "The Intruder." The PG-13 thriller centers on a married couple who recently purchased their dream home, only to realize the seller keeps creepily meddling in their life.
Lionsgate's "Long Shot," a raunchy R-rated romantic comedy starring Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron, nabbed the No. 3 spot with a tepid $10 million from 3,230 screens. Jonathan Levine directed the movie about a journalist (Rogen) who tries to win over his former babysitter-turned-politican (Theron), who is now running for president. It garnered mostly positive reviews since its premiere at South by Southwest. The opening weekend audience skewed female (56 percent), while 68 percent of moviegoers were over the age of 35.
This weekend's final new release, "UglyDolls," launched in fourth place well below expectations, stumbling with $8.5 million from 3,652 venues. STX's animated musical cost $45 million to produce. The A-list voice cast includes Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, and Pitbull, who all recorded new music for the movie. The family friendly adventure follows a group of misfit dolls who learn to embrace what it means to be unique.
Meanwhile, Disney's "Captain Marvel" got another boost from "Avengers: Endgame." It landed at the No. 5 spot, generating $4.3 million during its ninth weekend in theaters. The superhero tentpole, starring Brie Larson, has earned $420 million in North America.
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LOS ANGELES - Marvel superhero movie "Avengers: Endgame" set an opening-day record in China with an estimated $107.2 million in ticket sales, distributor Walt Disney Co said on Wednesday.
"Endgame" is the final chapter of a story told across 22 Marvel films featuring popular characters such as Iron Man, Thor, and Black Widow.
The movie earned rave reviews from critics and is expected to draw huge crowds as it debuts in the rest of the world this week.
As of Wednesday morning, 97 percent of "Endgame" reviews collected by the Rotten Tomatoes website were positive.
The film picks up after last year's "Avengers: Infinity War," when many of Marvel's big-screen superheroes appeared to turn to dust. In "Endgame," the survivors plot to kill the supervillain Thanos.
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LOS ANGELES -- Brie Larson's "Captain Marvel" is soaring to a heroic opening weekend of $153 million in North America at 4,310 sites, reviving what had been a slumbering 2019 box office.
"Captain Marvel" took in $302 million internationally, giving it an estimated global opening weekend of $455 million -- the sixth highest global debut of all time.
The 21st installment of Disney's Marvel Cinematic Universe propelled total domestic moviegoing to $210 million -- nearly $70 million above the same frame last year. It was the first weekend of 2019 to outperform the same frame of 2018.
"Captain Marvel" will wind up with the 18th biggest domestic opening weekend of all time. Disney's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" has the 17th-highest launch frame with $155.1 million in 2016. It will be the biggest opening title since "Incredibles 2" launched with $182 million in June and should post the best start for a standalone superhero film since Marvel's "Black Panther" launched with $202 million in 2018.
Larson stars as Carol Danvers, the pilot who becomes the vastly powerful Captain Marvel after the Earth is caught at the center of a galactic conflict in 1995. The cast includes Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, and Jude Law. The movie is written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck.
"Captain Marvel" performed well above studio projections, which had pegged the film at $125 million. It took in nearly triple what had been the biggest opener of the year with "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" at $55 million on Feb. 22-24.
Total domestic box office for 2019, which had plunged by 27 percent before the weekend, is now down 21 percent at $1.79 billion, according to Comscore's Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst.
"Thankfully 'Captain Marvel's' superpowers extend to the box office realm and as expected provided a much-needed box office boost that the 2019 box office has been waiting for with a positively out of this world debut," he said. "The allure and power of the superhero genre is as powerful as ever and just what blockbuster starved audiences have been waiting for in the form of a perfectly cast Brie Larson in this most powerful role."
"Captain Marvel" landed an A CinemaScore. Comscore/Screen Engine's PostTrak survey of audiences resulted in an 81 percent total positive score with a strong 66 percent of audiences saying they would "definitely recommend" the film.
Universal's third weekend of "How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" led the rest of the pack with $14.7 million at 4,402 locations for a 17-day domestic total of $119.7 million. The second weekend of "Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral" followed with $12.1 million at 2,442 venues.
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LOS ANGELES -- M. Night Shyamalan's "Glass" easily maintained its reign in North America, adding $19 million during its second weekend of release for a domestic tally of $73.5 million.
Despite a steep 53-percent decline, the weekend haul of "Glass" was enough to top box office charts as newcomers "The Kid Who Would Be King" and "Serenity" fell flat.
Working Title and 20th Century Fox's "The Kid Who Would Be King" earned $7 million when it debuted in 3,531 venues, a potentially disastrous result for a film that cost over $60 million before taking marketing into account. The family-friendly film, directed by Joe Cornish, came in at the low end of expectations and opened at No. 4 despite positive reviews.
"Sometimes you make a really good movie and you have trouble connecting with a broad audience," said Chris Aronson, Fox's head of domestic distribution.
The only competition of the PG front in coming weeks is "The Lego Movie 2." The Warner Bros.' animated sequel opens on February 8 and is eyeing a domestic debut around $55 million.
Fox recently had massive success with "Bohemian Rhapsody," the Oscar-nominated Queen biopic that earned over $800 million globally, but the King Arthur adaptation might signal a sour ending for the studio as Fox prepares to merge with Disney in the coming months.
While "The Kid Who Would Be King" was at least able to crack the top five, Aviron Pictures' "Serenity" was not as fortunate. The neo-noir thriller starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway launched at No. 8, faltering with just $4.8 million from 2,561 locations. Steven Knight wrote and directed the movie, which certainly didn't benefit from disastrous reviews. It holds a 22 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a D+ CinemaScore. Global Road financed the film for $25 million before filing for bankruptcy late last year.
A number of holdovers rounded out domestic box office charts. STXfilms and Lantern Entertainment's "The Upside" nabbed second place again, bringing in $12.24 million from 3,377 locations. That marks a drop of just 18 percent and puts the comedic drama at $63 million after three weeks.
Warner Bros.' "Aquaman" secured third place with $7.3 million during its sixth week of release. Directed by James Wan and starring Jason Momoa, the superhero adventure is now the largest DC movie ever and the third-biggest Warner Bros. movie of all time. It has crossed $1.09 billion globally, with $316 million of that bounty coming from domestic markets.
Meanwhile, Sony's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" landed at No. 5 with $6.3 million. The animated web-slinging adventure, now an Oscar nominee for best animated feature, has generated $169 million in North America.
Elsewhere, a handful of awards contenders that scored Oscar nods last week saw a box office boost. Universal's "Green Book," which nabbed five nominations including best picture, picked up $5.8 million when it expanded to 2,430 locations. The road-trip drama starring Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali has now earned $49 million in the States.
"Overall three-day gross is up 150 percent over last weekend," said Jim Orr, Universal's president of domestic distribution. "Just more evidence of the great word-of-mouth and goodwill that 'Green Book' is generating with audiences across North America."
Fox Searchlight's royal drama "The Favourite" also added to its theater count this weekend, pocketing $2.4 million from 1,540 screens. The absurdist period piece -- co-starring Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz -- generated a leading 10 nominations (tying with Alfonso Cuaron's "Roma"). Yorgos Lanthimos directed the movie, which has made $26 million to date.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" saw a similar rise in ticket sales, drumming up $2.4 million in its 13th week of release for a domestic tally of $205 million.
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LOS ANGELES -- Disney's "Ralph Breaks the Internet" dominated the Thanksgiving box office, generating a massive $84.6 million at 4,017 locations over the five-day holiday period and $56 million for the weekend.
Propelled by solid word of mouth, the Disney animated sequel now ranks as the second-best Thanksgiving debut ever, behind another Disney title, "Frozen," which earned $93.6 million during its first five days.
"Ralph Breaks the Internet" carries a hefty $175-million production budget, so it will need to keep up momentum worldwide to turn a profit. "Ralph Breaks the Internet" sees John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman reprise their roles from "Wreck It Ralph" as the video game villain and his best friend navigate the internet. The original film picked up $49 million over its first three days of release.
"Whenever we look at sequels, they have to be additive," Cathleen Taff, Disney's president of global distribution, said of "Ralph Breaks the Internet's" impressive opening. "The filmmakers built this world out with such attention to detail that people were ready to come back and enjoy these characters. We're really excited about the momentum as we head into the holidays."
"Ralph" wasn't the only sequel to thrive this weekend. MGM and New Line's "Creed II" was a knockout as the boxing drama earned $55 million from 3,350 venues over the five days and $34 million for the weekend. That marks the best debut for a live-action film during the holiday frame.
Those numbers also topped the start of "Creed," which launched with $29 million over the three-day frame. "Creed II" stars Michael B. Jordan as Donnie Creed, the son of heavyweight champ Apollo Creed. Sylvester Stallone returns as Rocky Balboa.
"It's a thrill to see both its legacy and new generation of audiences continue to respond to Rocky Balboa and Adonis Creed in this time when we need uplifting stories," said Jonathan Glickman, president of MGM's motion picture group.
The crowded Turkey Day didn't just bring back solid receipts, it set a new record, according to Comscore. This five-day outing surpassed $314 million, exceeding the record set in 2013 with $294 million.
Unfortunately, it's not all holiday cheer at the box office. Lionsgate's "Robin Hood" pocketed an tepid $14.2 million at 2,715 venues for the five-day period and $9 million for the weekend, a potentially disastrous result given the live-action adventure's roughly $100 million production budget. Taron Egerton and Jamie Foxx lead "Robin Hood" in the latest rendition of the swashbuckling bandit.
Meanwhile, awards hopeful "Green Book" had a disappointing expansion. It moved into 1,063 theaters and made $5.4 million for the weekend and a lackluster $7.4 million during the five-day frame. Universal is distributing "Green Book," which was co-produced by DreamWorks and Participant. Viggo Mortensen, who drew controversy after using of the N-word at a screening, co-stars alongside Mahershala Ali in the comedic drama that centers on a renowned black pianist's tour through the Deep South during the Jim Crow era.
Universal's domestic distribution chief Jim Orr stressed that word of mouth will be exceptionally important for "Green Book's" life at the box office.
"It's definitely going to be a marathon, not a sprint," Orr said. "We think it's going to be in theaters and an award darling for quite some time."
As new releases swarmed multiplexes, a number of holdovers still managed to draw crowds. Warner Bros.' "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" picked up $43.3 million for the five-day outing. That brings its domestic tally to $116.5 million.
Universal's "The Grinch" is still doing formidable business in its third week of release, and the family-friendly film will duke it out with the "Fantastic Beasts" sequel for third and fourth place once final numbers come in Monday. The animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss holiday classic stole another $42 million for a Stateside haul of $180 million.
Rounding out the top five is Fox's "Bohemian Rhapsody." The Queen biopic drummed up another $19 million during the five-day holiday, bringing its North American total to $151 million.
In limited release, Fox Searchlight's "The Favourite" bowed in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, earning $420,000. That averages out to $105,500 per location, marking the best theater average of the year. Yorgos Lanthimos directed "The Favourite," an absurdist period drama that's seen as a solid Oscar contender. Set in the early 18th century, it centers on the drama between two cousins (Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone) jockeying to be court favorites during the reign of Queen Anne (Olivia Colman).
"There is so much competition in the overall marketplace, but it shows there's room for other movies," said Frank Rodriguez, Fox Searchlight's head of distribution. "Thank god for exhibitors knowing their audience was passionate about seeing the film."
Also at the specialty box office, Magnolia's "Shoplifters" opened in five locations where it made $88,000, for a per-screen average of $17,600. The drama about an impoverished family living on the margins took home the Palme d'Or at Cannes and is Japan's entry for best foreign language film at the Academy Awards.
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LOS ANGELES -- There's a new box office queen in town.
Fox's Freddie Mercury biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" overperformed with a rocking $50 million when it debuted in 4,000 theaters. That was enough to dominate in North America over fellow newcomers "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" and "Nobody's Fool."
"Bohemian Rhapsody" ranks as the second-best start for a music biopic, following just 2015's "Straight Outta Compton" ($60.2 million).
Rami Malek stars as Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the film, which cost around $50 million to produce. "Bohemian Rhapsody" has generated a mixed critical response, though audiences have embraced it with a 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore.
Disney's "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" launched at No. 2 on the lower end of expectations with a disappointing $20 million from 3,766 venues, a rare miss for the Magic Kingdom given the movie's $125-million price tag. The family-friendly film with Keira Knightley, Misty Copeland, and Mackenzie Foy was panned by critics, who gave it a 34 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
In third, Paramount's "Nobody's Fool," the first R-rated comedy from Tyler Perry, generated $13.7 million from 2,468 screens.
Rounding out the top five are holdovers "A Star Is Born" and "Halloween." Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's "A Star Is Born" pocketed another $11.1 million in its fifth outing, marking an impressive drop of just 21 percent. That brings its domestic tally to a huge $165 million.
Universal and Blumhouse's R-rated slasher "Halloween" earned $11 million for a North American total of $150 million.
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LOS ANGELES -- "Halloween" made a killing in North America, earning $77.5 million when the slasher film launched in 3,928 locations.
David Gordon Green's "Halloween," a direct sequel to John Carpenter's 1978 classic, obliterated the franchise record opening of $26 million, previously held by the 2007 Rob Zombie reboot.
"Halloween" also notched the second-best start for an R-rated horror film following the $123-million launch of "It." It also landed the second-highest debut for an October release, set earlier this month by "Venom" with $80 million.
Overseas, "Halloween" generated $14.3 million from 23 markets for a global start of $91.8 million. "Halloween" cost just $10 million, marking another win for Jason Blum and Blumhouse Productions, who co-financed the film with Miramax. "Halloween" surpassed "Paranormal Activity 3" ($52.5 million) for the best debut to date for Blumhouse.
"I am enormously proud of this film," Jason Blum said in a statement. "'Halloween' brings the franchise back to life in a fresh, relevant and fun way that is winning over fans and critics alike."
Universal's "Halloween" is the 11th installment in the series, five of which have starred Jamie Lee Curtis as iconic avenging babysitter Laurie Strode, who is now a grandmother in the newest take.
"Halloween" is now Curtis' biggest opening to date, as well as the best horror opening with a female lead. It's also the biggest launch ever with a female lead over 55 years old.
Carpenter returned to executive produce and compose the score for the R-rated thriller. The follow-up has garnered some of the best reviews for a series entry yet. While the last few iterations have been panned, "Halloween" holds a 80 percent average on Rotten Tomatoes and a B+ CinemaScore.
Meanwhile, Fox expanded YA drama "The Hate U Give" to 2,303 screens. It picked up a solid $7.5 million, taking its total earnings to $10.5 million.
October's box-office receipts continue to impress as "Venom" and "A Star Is Born" deliver healthy numbers in their third outings. After "Venom's" two-week reign atop domestic box office charts, Sunday estimates show Sony's superhero movie led by Tom Hardy was narrowly defeated by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's "A Star Is Born" for second place. "A Star Is Born" pocketed another $19.3 million, while "Venom" follows close behind with $18.1 million for solid domestic totals of $126 million and $171 million, respectively.
"Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween" also cashed in on the spooky spirit, picking up $9.7 million to land in fourth place. That brings its North American tally to $28 million.
Rounding out the top five is Universal's "First Man," which notched $8.5 million this weekend for a total of $30 million. Damien Chazelle's space epic, which holds a $60-million price tag, dropped roughly 46 percent in its second frame.
At the specialty box office, Jonah Hill's directorial debut, "Mid90s" secured the best screen average this weekend with a massive $62,375 from four theaters, a total of $249,000. A24's coming-of-age skateboarding drama expands nationwide next weekend.
Elsewhere, Fox Searchlight's "Can You Ever Forgive Me?," starring Melissa McCarthy, generated $150,000 when it opened in five locations, averaging a huge $30,000 per screen.
Another surprisingly strong showing puts October 54.5 percent ahead of the same frame last year, as well as 12 percent ahead of 2014's record month, according to comScore. The 2018 box office remains up 10.6 percent compared to the previous year.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- The summer 2018 box office is officially ending on a high note.
An August surge is thanks partially to "Crazy Rich Asians," the Warner Bros. romantic comedy that is still doing crazy good business in North America. Jon M. Chu's film will top the domestic box office for the third week in a row with estimates showing it could make another $27 million to $30 million over Labor Day Weekend. It generated a three-day tally of $22 million in 3,865 locations, dropping just 10 percent in its third outing and bringing its domestic total to $110 million.
Following "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," "Black Panther," and "Avengers: Infinity War," "Crazy Rich Asians" is the fourth film this year to top the domestic box office three weekends in a row.
Warner Bros. also nabbed second place as "The Meg" picked up another $10 million on 3,761 screens. That takes its North American cume to $120.5 million.
Newcomer "Operation Finale" launched at No. 4 with $6 million in 1,818 locations. MGM's political thriller debuted on Wednesday and is expecting to earn between $8 million to $10 million over the six-day period. Chris Weitz, the filmmaker behind "American Pie, "About a Boy," and "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," directed the movie, which cost $20 million. It stars Oscar Isaac, Ben Kingsley, and Nick Kroll.
The weekend's final wide release, "Kin," opened with a dismal $3 million in 2,141 locations. Lionsgate's sci-fi action film -- starring Jack Reynor, Zoe Kravitz, Carrie Coon, Dennis Quaid, and James Franco -- is on track to make $3.6 million over the four-day period.
Meanwhile, Sony's "Searching" found $5.6 million when it expanded to 1,207 locations. The thriller featuring John Cho, Debra Messing, and Michelle La, has earned $6.5 million to date. Cho and fellow "Crazy Rich Asians" stars, including Henry Golding, helped rally support by buying out screenings of the film.
Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible - Fallout" continues to stay in the top five. This weekend, it looks to clock in at No. 3 with $6.9 million in 2,639 locations and a four-day total of $9 million. The sixth installment in the Ethan Hunt spy series has generated $206 million in North America.
Disney's "Christopher Robin" will be facing off against "Searching" for fifth place.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- Highly anticipated rom-com "Crazy Rich Asians" -- the first Hollywood film with an mainly Asian cast in a generation -- dazzled the North American box office in its debut weekend, claiming the top spot, industry estimates showed Sunday.
The Warner Bros. adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel of the same name raked in $34 million since hitting theaters on Wednesday, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said. Of the total, the film took in $25.2 million at the weekend.
Starring veteran actress Michelle Yeoh, British-Malaysian former BBC host Henry Golding and American sitcom star Constance Wu, the film tells the story of a American economics professor who meets her super-wealthy boyfriend's family in Singapore -- and all the drama that ensues.
It is the first Tinseltown film with a predominantly Asian cast since "The Joy Luck Club" in 1993.
Shark thriller "The Meg" tumbled to second place in its second week, taking in $21.2 million. It stars action movie regular Jason Statham as a rescue diver who tries to save scientists in a submarine from an attack by a huge, prehistoric shark.
"Mile 22" -- a new spy thriller-action flick starring Mark Wahlberg -- opened in third place at $13.6 million.
Another debut film, prehistoric adventure tale "Alpha," shared fourth place at $10.5 million with summer blockbuster "Mission: Impossible - Fallout."
The latest installment in the "M:I" franchise has now taken in $180.7 million overall.
Rounding out the weekend's top 10 were:
"Christopher Robin" ($8.9 million)
"BlacKkKlansman" ($7 million)
"Slender Man" ($5 million)
"Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation" ($3.7 million)
"Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" ($3.4 million)
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- "The Meg" devoured the competition at the domestic box office.
Warner Bros.' big-budget shark thriller opened well above expectations, biting off $44.5 million when it opened in 4,118 North American locations. That was easily enough to nab the No. 1 slot over "Mission: Impossible - Fallout," which picked up $20 million in its third outing.
"The Meg," which is a co-production with China, will still have to secure big returns overseas to justify its expensive $130 million production budget.
Fellow newcomer "BlacKkKlansman" debut in fifth place with $10.8 million in 1,500 locations, earning director Spike Lee his best opening in over a decade. Lee's Cannes Grand Prix winning crime drama, which debuted on the first anniversary of the deadly Charlottesville rally, has maintained enthusiasm with a promising 97 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating and A- CinemaScore.
Horror auteurs Jason Blum and Jordan Peele co-produced the Focus Features title, which tells the true story of black detective Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), who goes undercover -- with the help of Jewish cop Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver) -- to infiltrate the Colorado Springs chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.
Prior to "BlacKkKlansman," Lee's 2006 film "Inside Man" launched with $28 million. His latest outing, "Chi-Raq," picked up $2.5 million during its limited theatrical run ahead of an Amazon release.
Sony's "Slender Man," also debuted nationwide this weekend, landing in fourth with $11 million in 2,358 locations. That's a solid start given the low-budget thriller carries a $10 million price tag.
The final weekend opener, "Dog Days," picked up $2.6 million when it launched in 2,442 locations.
Meanwhile, Disney's "Christopher Robin" earned $12.7 million in its sophomore frame, landing the fantasy drama based on the characters from Winnie the Pooh in third place. To date, it has generated $50.3 million in North America.
At the speciality box office, Magnolia Pictures' "Skate Kitchen" bowed with $17,000 when it opened in just one location. The best per-screen-average, however, went to Oscilloscope's "Madeline's Madeline," which pocketed $20,000 from one venue.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- Estimates for "Solo: A Star Wars Story" are continuing to fly low.
Disney and Lucasfilm's "Star Wars" prequel is now looking to make $101 million in North America during its four-day holiday weekend debut. The Han Solo origin film's three-day estimate currently hovers around $83 million.
Tracking earlier this week suggested "Solo" would lift off with $130 million to $150 million.
The film, directed by Ron Howard, follows Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo, who befriends his future co-pilot and Wookie companion Chewbacca, and meets the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover). Emilia Clarke, Woody Harrelson, Thandie Newton, Paul Bettany, Joonas Suotamo, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge round out the cast.
"There's a ton of momentum in the box office," Dave Hollis, president of domestic distribution at Disney, said of the trio of recent openings -- "Solo," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Deadpool 2." "There's a wide open landscape for the next handful of weeks."
Early estimates predicted "Solo" could secure the best Memorial Day weekend opening, but it looks like "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" will continue to hold the crown with its $139.8 million in 2007.
"Solo," the second standalone "Star Wars" anthology film, has fallen far behind 2016's "Rogue One," which landed a three-day weekend opening of $155 million. The most recent installment in the franchise -- "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" -- opened less than six months ago. The second film in "Star Wars'" sequel trilogy debuted with $220 million domestically.
With "Solo" as the only new release of the weekend, the rest of the North American box office will be bolstered by a number of holdovers.
"Deadpool 2" should easily score the second slot, heading for a $42 million three-day sophomore frame and a four-day total of around $54 million. As of Friday, the superhero sequel starring Ryan Reynolds has earned $176.8 million.
The fifth weekend of "Avengers: Infinity War" looks to land in third. The Marvel blockbuster is looking at a $16.9 million three-day estimate, along with a four-day number of $22.1 million.
In fourth should be Paramount's "Book Club." The romantic comedy is aiming for $9.6 million in its second weekend. If its four-day cume reaches $12.3 million, that would put "Book Club's" domestic tally at $34.5 million. "Life of the Party" should round out the top five with around $5 million in its third frame.
"Solo" still boosts the domestic box office 23.1 percent compared to Memorial Day weekend in 2017, according to comScore. Meanwhile, the year-to-date box office continues its positive trajectory with 7.6 percent.
"Despite the fact that 'Solo' performed softer than many had projected, a hugely competitive and crowded marketplace gave the industry one of the better performing Memorial holiday weekend totals," said box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
WASHINGTON - As the US kicked back for a long weekend, Disney's "Black Panther" got off to a superhero start in the North American box office, rocketing to the top spot with estimated earnings of $218 million, data showed Sunday.
According to figures from industry tracker Exhibitor Relations, the highly-anticipated 18th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe earned $192 million over Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- exceeding predictions of $170 million.
Thanks to Presidents' Day in the US on Monday, "Black Panther's" estimated earnings were boosted to a stratospheric $218 million -- crushing "Deadpool's" 2016 Presidents' Day record of $152.1 million.
In the Philippines, Black Panther also scored the year's biggest first-day gross to-date with a staggering P45.10-million in box-office sales on February 14.
Comparatively, the Wakandan King outperformed the opening day numbers of recent Marvel titles, including 2015's Ant-Man (by 235%), 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy (by 183%), 2016's Doctor Strange (by 124%), 2014's Captain America: The Winter Solidier (by 63%) and last year's Thor: Ragnarok (by 41%).
The film, from Disney-owned Marvel Studios, features a star-studded, almost entirely black cast led by Chadwick Boseman as the first non-white superhero to get his own stand-alone movie in the franchise.
Starring alongside Michael B Jordan and Lupita Nyong'o, Boseman plays the titular superhero also known as T'Challa, king and protector of the technologically advanced fictional African nation of Wakanda, an affluent, never-colonized utopia.
In at second was family-friendly "Peter Rabbit," based on Beatrix Potter's classic children's book. Mixing live actors with computer-generated animation, it brought in an estimated $22.1 million over the holiday weekend for total earnings of $53.1 million.
James Corden voices the lead bunny which feuds with garden owner Domhnall Gleeson for the affections of sweet-hearted neighbor Rose Byrne.
Dropping to third was last week's box office champion, Universal's "Fifty Shades Freed," with takings of $19 million, down from $38.6 million the previous week.
Starring Dakota Johnson as English lit major-turned-publisher Anastasia Steele and Jamie Dornan as Christian Grey, her kinky lover-turned-husband, "Freed" is the last of the "Fifty Shades" trilogy, which has enjoyed massive popularity among primarily female audiences.
Sony's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" placed fourth in its ninth week in theaters, matching last week's earnings with $10 million.
Featuring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black, the family film tells the tale of a group of teens transported inside a video game world.
Director Clint Eastwood's "The 15:17" dropped two places into fifth, taking $9 million.
The film recounts the story of three young Americans who foiled a terrorist attack on board a train in France in 2015. In an alternative approach that divided critics, Eastwood cast the three men -- none of whom had any acting experience -- to play themselves.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
"The Greatest Showman" ($6.3 million)
"Early Man" ($4.2 million)
"Maze Runner: The Death Cure" ($3 million)
"Winchester" ($2.7 million)
"Samson" ($2.4 million)
ska/it
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- Universal's opening of "Fifty Shades Freed" is dominating North American moviegoing with a solid $38.8 million opening at 3,678 locations as the business awaits the arrival of "Black Panther."
Sony's launch of family comedy "Peter Rabbit" wound up with a better-than-expected $25 million at 3,725 sites. Warner Bros.' debut of Clint Eastwood's thriller "15:17 to Paris" arrived above forecasts at $12.6 million at 3,042 venues for the weekend.
A pair of holiday season holdovers in their eighth weekends took fourth and fifth as Sony's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" finished with about $10 million at 3,126 sites and Fox's "The Greatest Showman" grossed $6.4 million at 2,373 screens. "Jumanji" will finish the weekend with about $365 million in 38th place on the all-time domestic grosser list, $3 million behind "Despicable Me 2."
The finale of the "Fifty Shades" trilogy -- referred to in marketing materials as "the climax" -- is also launching in 57 international markets this weekend with about $100 million, which brings the franchise total to about $1.09 billion.
The weekend saw a significant increase in moviegoing in the wake of a slow Super Bowl session with $138 million, up 46%, according to comScore. Overall business was off 27 percent from the same weekend a year ago, when "The Lego Batman Movie" led with $53 million.
Moviegoing will receive another major boost over the Presidents Day weekend with Disney-Marvel's "Black Panther" opening February 16 and forecasted to take in as much as $150 million during the Friday-Monday period.
"This weekend is merely the calm before the proverbial Marvel-powered storm as 'Black Panther' is poised to leap into theaters with potentially record-breaking results," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with comScore.
"Fifty Shades Freed" sees Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in the conclusion of the events set in motion in 2015's "Fifty Shades of Grey" and 2017's "Fifty Shades Darker." The "Fifty Shades Freed" launch wound up above forecasts -- but was not as strong as its predecessors, "Fifty Shades of Grey," which opened with a sensational $85.2 million in 2015, and "Fifty Shades Darker," which opened with $46.6 million on the same weekend last year.
"Peter Rabbit," a live-action/CGI animated film from Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, saw an uptick in Saturday business to finish well above recent projections. James Corden is voicing Peter Rabbit in a contemporary comedy highlighted by his feud with Mr. Thomas McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door, played by Rose Byrne.
Eastwood's "15:17 to Paris" is based on the book "The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes" by Jeffrey E. Stern, Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler, and Alek Skarlatos, about the 2015 Thalys train attack. The film stars Stone, Sadler, and Skarlatos as themselves. Judy Greer and Jenna Fischer also star.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES - Disney-Lucasfilm's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" has cleared the $1 billion milestone in worldwide grosses in less than three weeks.
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" pulled in $120.4 million globally on the New Year's Eve weekend with $52.4 million at 4,232 domestic venues and $68 million internationally during the Friday-Sunday period.
"The Last Jedi" is now the eighth highest-grossing domestic movie of all time with $517.1 million -- only $15 million behind last year's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" in the seventh spot. On the worldwide chart, it's now 24th with $1.04 billion, edging Universal-Illumination's "Despicable Me 3." The tentpole's international total, currently at $523.2 million, will see a significant jolt when it opens on Jan. 5 in China, its final market.
"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" has also topped Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," which grossed $504 million in North America, for the top spot among 2017 releases domestically. It's the fourth 2017 title to go past $1 billion worldwide, along with "Beauty and the Beast" at $1.26 billion, "The Fate of the Furious" at $1.24 billion and "Despicable Me 3" at $1.03 billion.
"The Last Jedi" is also winning the domestic weekend box office crown for the third time with $52.4 million, edging Sony's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," which took in $50.6 million at 3,765 locations for the Friday-Sunday. However, Sony's projection showed the "Jumanji" sequel grossing $16.5 million on New Year's Day on Monday -- well above Disney's forecast of $13.2 million for "The Last Jedi." Should those numbers hold, "Jumanji" would edge "Jedi" over the four-day period with $67 million, winning by $1.4 million.
"Jumanji" has been "The Last Jedi's" biggest competitor by far since it opened on Dec. 20. The action-comedy should wind up with an 11-day domestic total of $186.3 million by the end of Monday. The action-comedy, starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, has a $90 million budget. It's also performed impressively in international markets with $107 million thr0ugh Dec. 28.
"Jedi" and "Jumanji" helped lift the entire domestic box office for 2017 to $11.12 billion, down 2.3% from last year's $11.38 billion and off slightly from 2015's $11.14 billion, according to comScore. The gap for 2017 had been more than 6% at the end of the worst summer in a decade but performances by "It," "Thor: Ragnarok," "Justice League," "Jedi" and "Jumanji" closed most of that margin.
"With another $11 billion plus year on the books, the industry looks ahead to awards season and a 2018 packed with blockbuster titles and a hope for a year slightly less volatile than 2017," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with comScore. Universal's "Pitch Perfect 3" led the rest of weekend's domestic pack with a projected $22.7 million at 3,468 locations for Friday-Monday, lifting its 11-day total to $69.2 million. The comedy trilogy, starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, took in $13.1 million this weekend from 34 international markets for a foreign total of $28.6 million.
Hugh Jackman's musical drama "The Greatest Showman" is finishing a close fourth with $20.3 million at 3,316 theaters forecasted for the four days. The Fox-Chernin Entertainment title showed the biggest gain in the top 10 movies from the Christmas Eve weekend with an impressive 73% surge. The domestic total should hit $53.8 million through Monday.
Fox's second weekend of "Ferdinand" -- the only film to open on the same weekend as "The Last Jedi" -- followed in fifth with $15.1 million at 3,337 North American venues, giving the animated comedy $57.3 million in 18 days. Disney-Pixar's seventh weekend of "Coco" finished sixth with a projected $8.8 million at 2,845 sites for a domestic total of $181.1 million and $539 million worldwide.
Sony's "All the Money in the World" and Focus Features' "The Darkest Hour" were in a battle for seventh place at about $7.2 million for the four days. "All the Money" opened on Christmas Day as the final wide release of the year at 2,074 locations after director Ridley Scott excised Kevin Spacey's scenes and reshot them with Christopher Plummer as J. Paul Getty, following the early November sexual abuse allegations against Spacey. Its eight-day total will be around $14.4 million.
Awards contender "Darkest Hour," starring Gary Oldman as the 1940 version of Winston Churchill, expanded to 943 venues in its sixth weekend and will have taken in $19.8 million by the end of the weekend. Focus reported strong performance in Washington, D.C./Maryland, Phoenix, Boston, Salt Lake City, and Florida markets.
"'Darkest Hour' is taking America by storm," said distribution chief Lisa Bunnell. "We're seeing audiences coming out in big numbers. It's a movie they found inspiring over the holiday break and the word of mouth gives us a strong outlook for the upcoming weeks."
Matt Damon's comedy-drama "Downsizing" finished ninth with a projected $6 million at 2,664 sites for the four days for Paramount. The 11-day total for "Downsizing," which carries a $65 million budget and was directed by Alexander Payne, should come in around $18.5 million.
Warner Bros.-Alcon Entertainment's second weekend of R-rated comedy "Father Figures" rounded out the top 10 with a projected $5.5 million at 2,902 locations. The 11-day total for the Owen Wilson-Ed Helms vehicle, which has a $25 million price tag, should hit about $14 million.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES - The force was with Disney as the latest Star Wars movie "The Last Jedi" beat out the competition to top the Christmas weekend box office, according to industry estimates released Sunday.
The eighth installment of the blockbuster space saga topped the charts in North America for a second week, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations, pulling in $68.5 million to rack up total earnings of $365 million since it opened last weekend.
Its triumph echoed last year's Christmas number one, "Star Wars: Rogue One," which told the backstory to the original 1977 hit.
The movie has so far netted $745.4 million worldwide, according to industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian, although the record to beat remains 2009's "Avatar,"
which earned $2.7 billion.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the 2015 predecessor to the "The Last Jedi," made just under $2 billion.
Christmas week is traditionally a time when studios flood the screens with new releases, and the Star Wars epic was trailed by three new films.
In second place was the Dwayne Johnson family adventure "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" which made $34 million for Sony.
"Pitch Perfect 3," which follows the continuing adventures of glee singers the Bellas, led by Anna Kendrick, was in third, earning $20.5 million for Universal.
That was followed by "The Greatest Showman," a musical in which Hugh Jackman plays the legendary circus impresario PT Barnum. That earned $8.6 million over the three-day weekend period.
Animated feature "Ferdinand," the story of a pacifist bull forced to face down the greatest bullfighter in the world, was fifth. It netted weekend receipts of $7 million in the United States and Canada in its second week.
Rounding out the top ten were:
"Coco" ($5.2 million)
"Downsizing" ($4.6 million)
"Darkest Hour" ($4.1 million)
"Father Figures" ($3.2 million)
"The Shape of Water" ($3.1 million)
jh/acb
source: news.abs-cbn.com
LOS ANGELES -- With anticipation building for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," Disney-Pixar's animated comedy "Coco" handily won its third straight crown at a moderate North American box office with $18.3 million at 3,748 sites.
"Coco" joined "The Hitman's Bodyguard," "Fate of the Furious" and "Split" as 2017 titles to top the domestic box office for three weekends in a row. The major studios have held off on any new openings since the Thanksgiving holiday but that changes on the evening of December 14 when previews start for Disney-Lucasfilm's "The Last Jedi" amid expectations of an opening weekend in the $200-million range.
"Coco," a colorful celebration of Mexico's Day of the Dead, showed impressive holding power with a 33% decline from its second weekend to lift its 19-day domestic total to $135.5 million. It's performed similarly to Disney's animated "Moana," which opened at the same time last year and had totaled $144.7 million after three weekends.
There was a single wide opening this weekend with Broad Green Pictures' final movie, "Just Getting Started," showing little traction with moviegoers with $3.2 million at 2,146 locations. "Just Getting Started," a poorly reviewed action comedy starring Morgan Freeman and Tommy Lee Jones, wound up in 10th place behind A24's sixth weekend of awards contender "Lady Bird" with $3.5 million at 1,557 venues.
The fourth weekend of Warner Bros.-DC Entertainment's superhero team-up "Justice League" finished with just over half of "Coco" with $9.6 million at 3,508 locations with a 42% decline. "Justice League" has taken in $212.1 million in 24 days and is the 10th biggest movie of 2017 -- but it's also the lowest performer among the five DC Extended Universe movies. "Wonder Woman" had hit $318 million domestically at the 24-day point in June.
"Justice League" has gone past $600 million worldwide with an international total of $401 million. Its performance pushed Warner Bros. past the $5-billion mark worldwide for 2017. The studio announced Sunday that it's become the first studio to cross the $2-billion mark for the year, led by "Wonder Woman" with $412 million and "It" with $327 million.
Lionsgate's third weekend of inspirational drama "Wonder" finished in third place with $8.5 million at 3,519 North American sites with a 35% decline. "Wonder" became the 27th movie of the year to cross the $100-million mark -- and one of the least costly among that group, given its $20 million budget. Production companies on the Jacob Tremblay vehicle are Mandeville Films, Participant Media, Walden Media and TIK Films.
A24's expansion of James Franco's comedy-drama "The Disaster Artist" came in fourth with a solid $6.4 million at 840 venues, up from 19 last weekend. That edged the sixth weekend of Disney-Marvel's "Thor: Ragnarok" with $6.3 million at 3,047 sites, which put its domestic total above $300 million. The third Thor movie was a key factor in November's box office staying ahead of the same month last year.
Paramount's fifth weekend of "Daddy's Home 2" finished sixth with $6 million at 3,263 locations, down only 21%, to lift its 31-day total to $91.2 million. The original "Daddy's Home" wound up its domestic run two years ago with $150.4 million.
Fox's fifth frame of "Murder on the Orient Express" followed with $5.1 million at 3,201 sites for a total of $92.7 million. The Kenneth Branagh vehicle, which has a $55-million budget, has been a solid performer internationally with $182 million in grosses outside the U.S.
Sony's fourth weekend of faith-based animated drama "The Star" came in eighth with $3.7 million at 2,976 venues, off only 10%. The film, co-financed by Walden Media and released through the Affirm label, has totaled $32.3 million in 24 days.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
