‘Hoppers’ holds onto the No. 1 box office spot as 'Reminders of Him'
overperforms
[March 16, 2026]
By JAKE COYLE
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pixar’s “Hoppers” held onto the top slot at the box
office, bouncing back with $28.5 million in its second weekend,
according to studio estimates Sunday, while Colleen Hoover's “Reminders
of Him” added to the author's successful streak at the box office.
After its $45.3 million debut, The Walt Disney Co.'s “Hoppers” release
dipped a modest 37% in its follow-up weekend, a promising sign for an
animated movie hoping to have strong legs through March. The Pixar
original, about a young woman who transforms into the body of a beaver
to help defend a pond from development, is hoping to keep attracting
audiences with good reviews (94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and strong
audience scores (an “A” CinemaScore).
While many of Pixar's sequels have been blockbusters on arrival — like
2024’s “Inside Out 2” ($1.7 billion worldwide) — their originals have
recently needed time to get going. In 2023, “Elemental” launched with a
disappointing $29.6 million but went on to gross a hefty $496.4 million
globally.
“Hoppers,” which has taken in $164.7 million globally thus far, has a
long way to go to match that, but it’s off to a good start. It faced
little direct new competition this weekend. The upcoming Amazon MGM
sci-fi adventure “Project Hail Mary,” however, will soon take up IMAX
screens and compete for family moviegoers.
Universal’s “Reminders of Him” debuted in second place this weekend with
a better-than-expected $18.3 million. The film, starring Maika Monroe as
a woman attempting to rebuild her life after prison, is the third
Colleen Hoover adaptation to reach the big screen, following 2024’s “It
Ends With Us” ($351 million worldwide for Sony) and 2025’s “Regretting
You” ($91 million for Paramount).
“Reminders of Him,” which cost about $25 million to make, got poor
reviews (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and notched a not-great “B”
CinemaScore with audiences. But the film, the first from a screenplay
co-written by Hoover, extends the bestselling author's popularity with
moviegoers.
“ Undertone,” a micro-budget horror movie from A24, opened with $9.3
million. The film, written and directed by Ian Tuason, has been touted
as A24’s best horror film since Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” (2018), one of
the movies that helped put the indie studio on the map. With a budget of
just $500,000, “Undertone” makes particular use of sound design in a
one-setting tale about a paranormal podcaster (Nina Kiri) caring for her
dying mother.
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This image released by Disney shows Mabel Beaver, voiced by Piper
Curda, left, and King George, voiced by Bobby Moynihan in a scene
from the animated film "Hoppers." (Disney/Pixar via AP)
 After its disappointing debut,
Warner Bros. “The Bride!” plummeted in its second weekend, dropping
70% with just $2.1 million. The Maggie Gyllenhaal-directed riff on
“The Bride of Frankenstein” cost about $80-90 million to produce,
but so far has grossed just $11.3 million domestically.
Oscar weekend is often slow in theaters, with the industry's
attention largely focused on Sunday's Academy Awards. But the trio
of moderate successes in “Hoppers,” “Reminders of Him” and
“Undertone” lifted moviegoing ahead of Hollywood's biggest night.
Year-to-date ticket sales are up 15.2% from the same point last
year, according to Comscore.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors
in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and
Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “Hoppers,” $28.5 million.
2. “Reminders of Him,” $18.3 million.
3. “Undertone,” $9.3 million.
4. “Scream 7,” $8.4 million.
5. “Goat,” $4.7 million.
6. “The Bride!” $2.1 million.
7. “Kiki's Delivery Service,” $1.7 million.
8. “Wuthering Heights,” $1.7 million.
9. “TMNT II,” $1.5 million.
10. “Crime 101,” $1.1 million.
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