|
 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 top 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.
[to top of second column] |
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 and
$29.2 million its sophomore frame. 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
favourites 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.
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
