In a sleepy post-Thanksgiving weekend at the box office, Pixar㽶Ƶֱs 㽶ƵֱCoco㽶Ƶֱ remained the top film for the second straight week while a number of Oscar contenders packed theatres in specialty release.
㽶ƵֱCoco㽶Ƶֱ again easily led all films with $26.1 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. The acclaimed animated tale based on the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) has dominated new releases both domestically and abroad. It has already racked up a global gross of $280 million, including record-breaking totals in Mexico and an impressive $75.6 million in China.
With no major wide releases, Warner Bros.㽶Ƶֱ 㽶ƵֱJustice League㽶Ƶֱ also held in second place with $16.6 million in its third weekend. With a domestic total of $197.3 million in three weeks, the DC Comics superhero team-up release isn㽶Ƶֱt going to catch Marvel㽶Ƶֱs 㽶ƵֱThor: Ragnarok.㽶Ƶֱ The better-received 㽶ƵֱThor㽶Ƶֱ sequel has proved far mightier, with nearly $300 million in five weeks of release.
The family film 㽶ƵֱWonder,㽶Ƶֱ about a fifth-grade boy (Jacob Tremblay) with facial abnormalities, likewise stayed in third with $12.5 million. The sleeper hit of the season, also starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, has taken in $88 million in three weeks for Lionsgate.
Among new releases, most successful was James Franco㽶Ƶֱs 㽶ƵֱThe Disaster Artist.㽶Ƶֱ The comedy opened with $1.2 million on 19 screens, good for a per-screen average of $64,254. The film, directed by and starring Franco, is about the making of the infamously bad cult movie 㽶ƵֱThe Room.㽶Ƶֱ
With most studios staying clear ahead of the impending release of 㽶ƵֱStar Wars: The Last Jedi㽶Ƶֱ (which some forecasts peg for a $200-million debut), much of the weekend㽶Ƶֱs action was with awards-season releases. They helped drive the weekend to the biggest post-Thanksgiving weekend in five years, according to comScore.
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Greta Gerwig㽶Ƶֱs 㽶ƵֱLady Bird,㽶Ƶֱ which spent the week collecting honours from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Gotham Awards and the National Board of Review, added 403 theatres, for a total of 1,194. The A24 release, starring Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf, earned $4.5 million, bringing its total to $17.1 million.
Fox Searchlight㽶Ƶֱs 㽶ƵֱThe Shape of Water,㽶Ƶֱ an acclaimed monster-movie fantasy from director Guillermo del Toro, opened in two New York theatres with $167,000. (The $83,400 per-screen average ranks as among the best of the year.) Searchlight㽶Ƶֱs 㽶ƵֱThee Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri,㽶Ƶֱ also expanded to 1,630 screens and grossed $4.5 million. The Frances McDormand-led film has grossed $13.7 million.
The coming-of-age tale 㽶ƵֱCall Me By Your Name,㽶Ƶֱ which topped the Gotham Awards on Monday, remained in very limited release 㽶Ƶֱ four theatres 㽶Ƶֱ and pulled in an excellent per-screen average of $67,000. The Sony Pictures Classics last weekend debuted with the highest screen-average of the year. The film㽶Ƶֱs young star, Timothee Chalamet, has emerged as one the leading best-actor contenders.
Also of note: Woody Allen㽶Ƶֱs latest, 㽶ƵֱWonder Wheel,㽶Ƶֱ opened with $140,555 in five theatres; Focus Feature㽶Ƶֱs Winston Churchill biopic 㽶ƵֱDarkest Hour㽶Ƶֱ took in $106,000 in four theatres; and the 20th anniversary release of 㽶ƵֱTitanic㽶Ƶֱ grossed $415,000 in 87 theatres.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 㽶ƵֱCoco,㽶Ƶֱ $26.1 million ($69 million international).
2. 㽶ƵֱJustice League,㽶Ƶֱ $16.6 million ($35.7 million international).
3. 㽶ƵֱWonder,㽶Ƶֱ $12.5 million ($7.8 million international).
4. 㽶ƵֱThor: Ragnarok,㽶Ƶֱ $9.7 million ($6.5 million international).
5. 㽶ƵֱDaddy㽶Ƶֱs Home 2,㽶Ƶֱ $7.5 million ($15.6 million international).
6. 㽶ƵֱMurder on the Orient Express,㽶Ƶֱ $6.7 million ($23.1 million international).
7. 㽶ƵֱLady Bird,㽶Ƶֱ $4.5 million.
8. 㽶ƵֱThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,㽶Ƶֱ $4.5 million.
9. 㽶ƵֱThe Star,㽶Ƶֱ $4 million.
10. A Bad Moms Christmas,㽶Ƶֱ $3.5 million ($3.7 million international).
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