Category: Movies

Avengers: Endgame snaps every box office record, crosses $1 billion in first weekend

When it comes to the box office, Avengers: Endgame has harnessed the power of the Infinity Stones and snapped nearly every record out of existence.

The 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and conclusion to the first Avengers arc was projection to smash expectations at the box office, but it shattered every existing box office record. Its estimated global debut of $1.2 billion makes it the first film in history to surpass $1 billion in its opening weekend. It reached this milestone in only five days, twice as quickly as its predecessor, previous record holder Avengers: Infinity War, which broke $1 billion in 11 days.

Avengers: Endgame easily tops the domestic box office as well, taking in an estimated $350 million across an industry-high of 4,662 theaters. This marks the biggest ever North American debut for a film, and it’s a full-circle moment for the MCU given that 2012’s The Avengers was the first film to break the $200 million mark in its opening weekend.

Other records the Marvel film breezed through include the biggest international opening of all time at $859 million, the biggest haul for Thursday domestic previews with $60 million, which contributed to a record first-day gross of $156.7 million, and the biggest IMAX global debut ever with $91.5 million. Avengers: Endgame is the eighth Marvel studios film to cross the $1 billion mark and the second to do so this year after Captain Marvel.

The film follows the remaining Marvel heroes post-snap as they work to undo the horrors Thanos has wrought. After the snap that wiped out half the global population at the conclusion of last year’s Avengers: Infinity War, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and others must unite to attempt to save the world after this apocalyptic event.

Directed by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, the film brought many of the original Avengers core six together for what is rumored to be their final film in the MCU. It shows no signs of slowing down with raves from critics, a 96% percent rating on RottenTomatoes and an A+ CinemaScore.

“Kevin Feige and the Marvel Studios team have continued to challenge notions of what is possible at the movie theatre both in terms of storytelling and at the box office,” said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios in a statement. “Though Endgame is far from an end for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these first 22 films constitute a sprawling achievement, and this weekend’s monumental success is a testament to the world they’ve envisioned, the talent involved, and their collective passion, matched by the irrepressible enthusiasm of fans around the world.”

Fittingly, another hero joined Avengers: Endgame at the top of the box office, with Captain Marvel returning to second place in its eighth week of release. Every total paled in comparison to the super-powered box office of Endgame. Captain Marvel takes second with an estimated $8.1 million across 2,435 theaters. Captain Marvel is now at $1.1 billion globally and has become the 24th overall global release of all time, as well as the 9th overall superhero release domestically, according to Disney.

There were no other major new releases this weekend, as studios did not wish to compete with the juggernaut of this Avengers film. Last weekend’s new titles and box office winners, horror film, The Curse of La Llorona and faith-based story Breakthrough take the third and fourth place slots respectively.

The Warner Bros. Mexican folktale-inspired horror flick scares up an estimated $7.5 million across 3,372 theaters for second place. Chrissy Metz led Breakthrough falls from third to fourth in its second weekend, with an estimated $6.3 million across 2,913 theaters.

Another superhero film rounds out the top five, this one from Marvel rival DC Comics. In its fourth weekend, Shazam! continues to garner audience love. The Zachary Levi led, more kid-friendly superhero film takes fifth place with an estimated $5.5 million across 3,631 theaters.

Overall box office is down 11.3 percent to date according to ComScore. Thanks to the mammoth success of Endgame, this is the biggest improvement to date this year.

Check out the April 26-28 numbers below.

1. Avengers: Endgame — $350 million
2. Captain Marvel — $8.1 million
3. The Curse of La Llorona — $7.5 million
4. Breakthrough— $6.3 million
5. Shazam!— $5.5 million
6. Little— $3.4 million
7. Dumbo — $3.2 million
8. Pet Sematary— $1.3 million
9. Us— $1.1 million
10. Penguins— $1 million

Shazam! superpowers itself to second consecutive box office victory

Shazam! Just say the word and you’ll find yourself at the top of the box office.

For the second week running, the DC Comics film takes first place at the box office, taking in an estimated $25 million across 4,306 theaters. The kid-friendly film easily outpaced the other new comic book adaptation to hit theaters this weekend Hellboy, which took in a dismal $12 million in third place. Shazam! brings its global total to $94 million, proving its staying power.

The film follows streetwise 14-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who gains the power to turn into the adult superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi) by simply shouting out “Shazam!” — a superhero origin story that comes courtesy of an ancient wizard. Mark Strong, Djimon Hounsou, Adam Brody, and Ron Cephas Jones also star in the David F. Sandberg-directed movie.

Little scores the second place title for the weekend with an estimated $15 million across 2,667 theaters.

The weekend was jam-packed with new releases, all of which managed to take in enough to crack the top 10 this weekend. The buzziest release of the weekend was yet another comic book adaptation, this one a reboot of the Hellboy franchise with David Harbour (Stranger Things) as the titular half-demon hero. The hero, who previously appeared in two films in 2004 and 2008 directed by monster master Guillermo del Toro, proved to be a disappointment at the box office, taking in far under it’s expected $21 million gross.

The R-rated Neil Marshall film follows Hellboy as he is sent to England to battle three rampaging giants and finds himself facing off against vengeance-obsessed sorceress Blood Queen Nimue (Milla Jovovich). Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim, and Thomas Haden Church also star. Critics have lambasted the film, and its returns hardly stack up to del Toro’s box office hauls, considering that when not adjusted for inflation the original 2004 film took in $23.2 million opening weekend and the 2008 sequel an even more impressive $34.5 million.

That’s far from the only new release this weekend. There’s also Laika’s latest animated release Missing Link, which takes ninth place with an estimated $5.8 million across 3,413 theaters.

The film features the voice talents of Zach Galifianakis as Mr. Link, a furry take on mythical creatures like the Yeti. Mr. Link recruits legendary explorer Sir Lionel Frost (Hugh Jackman) to help him track down his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La, along with the assistance of adventurer Adelina Fortnight (Zoe Saldana).

Then there’s the Regina Hall and Issa Rae starrer Little, which also marks a feature film splash for Black-ish’s Marsai Martin, who executive produced the film based on her own story idea. The inventive comedy, which feels like a reverse Big, takes second place with an estimated $15.5 million across 2,667 theaters. Martin stars as Jordan Sanders, the “little” version of a ferocious boss played by Regina Hall. When Jordan wakes up as her 13-year-old self, many hijinks ensue. This Is Us’ Justin Hartley also stars.

The final new release this weekend is YA romance After, based on the Anna Todd novel of the same name. It takes eighth place with an estimated $6.2 million across 2,138 theaters. The film’s debut was on pace with expectations for the indie project from distributors Aviron Pictures and Voltage. Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin star as two college-aged students who become embroiled in a passion-filled, explosive relationship, which only gets more tense with the revelation that Tiffin’s Hardin Scott harbors a dark secret. Selma Blair, Jennifer Beals, and Peter Gallagher also star in the Jenny Gage-directed film.

After often draws comparisons to Fifty Shades of Grey with its tale of forbidden romance and its darkly handsome hero. The Anna Todd novel similarly began on an internet platform, Wattpad, in 2014 before exploding into a viral success (similar to Fifty Shades which began its life as a massively popular work of Twilight fanfiction).

Pet Sematary and Dumbo round out the top five with $10 million across 3,585 theaters and $9 million across 3,706 theaters respectively.

Overall box office is down 16.7 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore. Check out the April 12-14 numbers below.

1. Shazam! — $25.1 million
2. Little — $15.5 million
3. Hell Boy — $12 million
4. Pet Sematary — $10 million
5. Dumbo — $9.1 million
6. Captain Marvel — $8.6 million
7. Us — $6.9 million
8. After — $6.2 million
9. Missing Link — $5.8 million
10. The Best of Enemies — $2 million

Shazam! scores a win for DC at box office with $53.5 million opening

In addition to their crop of better-known superheroes, it seems DC now only need say the words “Shazam” to produce results at the box office.

The Zachary Levi-led superhero film easily strutted its way to the top of the box office this weekend, taking in an estimated $53.5 million across 4,217 cinemas. It’s not record-breaking on the scale of many comic book adaptations, but it’s a solid opening that suggests franchise potential for the property. Shazam! marks the seventh film in the DC Extended Universe and the second consecutive box office victory for DC after the success of Aquaman this winter.

Another new release, an update of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary scared up second place receipts with an estimated take of $25 million across 3,585 theaters, while Tim Burton’s Dumbo fell a dismaying 60 percent in its second weekend to a less-than-stellar $18.2 million across 4,259 theaters to land in the third place spot.

Shazam! is a win all-around for DC and New Line, taking in an estimated cumulative total of $56.8 once sneak preview sales are included. The film follows streetwise 14-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel), who gains the power to turn into the adult superhero Shazam (Zachary Levi) by simply shouting out “Shazam!” — a superhero origin story that comes courtesy of an ancient wizard. Mark Strong, Djimon Hounsou, Adam Brody, and Ron Cephas Jones also star in the David F. Sandberg directed movie.

Though DC films often do well at the box office, they frequently are not critically well-received, but Shazam! stands in contrast to that with some of the comic book studios best reviews ever (not to mention a solid A CinemaScore from audiences). The candy-colored kid-friendly movie is also doing well overseas, taking in an estimated $102 million for a global opening total of $156.8 million. It also marks a win for star Zachary Levi — it’s his highest ever debut, excepting Thor: The Dark World in which he plays a minor supporting role, suggesting that he now has some leading man bankable power behind him.

A remake of the 1989 film of the same name, both based on the novel by Stephen King, another new release Pet Sematary takes second place with $25 million. It’s the second-highest opening for a Stephen King adaptation behind the monster success of 2017’s It.

Jason Clarke stars as Dr. Louis Creed who relocates his family, including wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and two children), to rural Maine. Near their new home, he discovers a mysterious burial ground with disturbing properties. John Lithgow, Jete Laurence, Hugo Lavoie & Lucas Lavoie also star in the film, co-directed by Kevin Kolsch and Dennis Widmyer.

The weekend’s other new release The Best of Enemies did not fare as well, taking in a soft estimated $4.5 million across 1,705 locations. Based on a true story, the film delves into the surprising relationship between outspoken civil rights activist Ann Atwater (Taraji P. Henson) and local KKK leader, C.P. Ellis (Sam Rockwell). It marks Rockwell’s first big-screen role since his Oscar-nominated performance as George W. Bush in last year’s Vice and comes just days before his new TV series, Fosse/Verdon premieres on FX, in which he stars as Bob Fosse.

Also starring Wes Bentley, Anne Heche, Nick Searcy, Bruce McGill, John Gallagher Jr., the film marks the writing and directing debut of The Hunger Games producer Robin Bissell. It earned a solid A CinemaScore but was less favorable with critics.

The 2019 box office’s biggest stars, Captain Marvel and Jordan Peele’s Us, round out the top five for the weekend. Horror film Us takes fourth place behind Dumbo in its third weekend, adding an estimated $13.8 million to its domestic total of $153.4 million. Combined with its international totals this weekend, the film has now crossed the $200 million mark worldwide.

Speaking of crossing box office milestones, Captain Marvel flew to new heights in its fifth weekend out, crossing the one billion dollar mark worldwide earlier this week. It became the seventh Marvel Cinematic Universe film to do so. Its estimated $12.7 million take this weekend places it squarely in fifth place in its fifth weekend in a nice bit of symmetry. The Marvel juggernaut is now at $1,037.6 million worldwide and counting.

Overall box office is down 16.1 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore. Check out the April 5-7 numbers below.

1. Shazam!— $53.5 million
2. Pet Sematary— $25 million
3. Dumbo— $18.2 million
4. Us— $13.8 million
5. Captain Marvel— $12.7 million
6. The Best of Enemies— $4.5 million
7. Five Feet Apart— $3.7 million
8. Unplanned— $3.2 million
9. Wonder Park— $2 million
10. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World— $2 million

Dumbo takes off with a soft $45 million, topping the box office

Disney and Tim Burton’s Dumbo isn’t exactly soaring, but it’ll have enough lift to reach the top of the box office on its opening weekend.

The live-action update of the beloved 1941 animated film is on track to sell an estimated $45 million in tickets at 4,259 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday, unseating Jordan Peele’s horror hit Us ($33.6 million). Dumbo’s muted opening comes in below industry projections, which were in the $50 million to $58 million range, while also falling short of previous live-action Disney re-imaginings like Beauty and the Beast ($174.8 million), The Jungle Book ($103.3 million), Maleficent ($69.4 million), and Cinderella ($67.9 million).

Directed by Burton and made for an estimated $170 million, Dumbo has garnered mixed reviews from movie critics, while audiences gave it an A-minus CinemaScore. Expanding upon the original film’s heartwarming story of a baby elephant who becomes a circus star thanks to his big, floppy ears, the new version stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, and Eva Green.

Disney will also be unveiling live-action updates of Aladdin and The Lion King later this year.

In second place, Peele and Universal’s Us is holding steady in its sophomore weekend, with a decline of about 53 percent from its stellar debut. After 10 days in theaters, its domestic total sits at an estimated $128.2 million. The film will add about $22.6 million overseas this weekend, bringing its worldwide haul to about $174.5 million.

A critical hit, Us stars Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Evan Alex as a family who come face-to-face with their freaky doppelgängers.

Rounding out the top five this weekend are Disney and Marvel’s latest superhero hit, Captain Marvel, with an estimated $20.5 million; CBS Films and Lionsgate’s teen romantic drama Five Feet Apart, with an estimated $6.3 million; and Pure Flix’s anti-abortion drama Unplanned, with an estimated $6.1 million.

Elsewhere, Neon and Harmony Korine’s stoner comedy The Beach Bum is flopping with a debut of about $1.8 million at 1,100 theaters (a per-screen average of about $1,636). That figure marks a career-worst opening for Matthew McConaughey, who plays the title role. The film also stars Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg, and Zac Efron.

Overall box office is down 16.3 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore. Check out the March 29-31 numbers below.

1. Dumbo — $45 million
2. Us — $33.6 million
3. Captain Marvel — $20.5 million
4. Five Feet Apart — $6.3 million
5. Unplanned — $6.1 million
6. Wonder Park — $4.9 million
7. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World — $4.2 million
8. Hotel Mumbai — $3.2 million
9. A Madea Family Funeral — $2.7 million
10. The Beach Bum — $1.8 million

Jordan Peele’s Us scares up biggest opening weekend for original horror movie

The opening box office for Jordan Peele’s Us is anything but scary.

The comedian turned auteur proved his power at the box office, following up his 2017 directorial debut Get Out with an even bigger opening. The horror film debuted to an impressive estimated haul of $70.3 million in ticket sales at 3,741 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday. It marks the best opening ever for an original horror title and the third biggest horror opening of all-time behind the 2017 It remake ($123.4 million) and last year’s Halloween sequel ($76.2 million).

Holdovers rounded out the top three with Captain Marvel continuing to stay strong in its third week, taking in an estimated $35 million across 4,278 theaters. Third place goes to animated family flick Wonder Park with an estimated $9 million in ticket sales across 3,838 theaters.

Us marks Jordan Peele’s second outing as a director and he is proving to be a massive force at the box office. The film stars Lupita Nyong’o as Adelaide Wilson, a young mother who returns to her seaside home alongside her husband (Winston Duke) and two children. Things get scary when they find themselves facing off against their terrifying doppelgängers.

Already making records at the box office, Us blew past the $33.4 million opening of Peele’s directorial debut Get Out. That cultural phenomenon went on to gross $176 million domestically and $254.4 million globally, as well as proving to be a major force of social commentary and garnering Peele an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Get Out massively profited on top of its tiny budget, and Us is looking to do the same, raking in an estimated $16.7 million abroad, leading to a total opening debut of $87 million, which easily blows past the film’s reported $20 million production budget.

If that’s not enough, Us also becomes the biggest debut for an R-rated original title ahead of 2012’s Ted, which opened to $54.4 million. It also marks the second biggest debut of 2019 behind the global juggernaut that is Captain Marvel.

Speaking of Carol Danvers, Captain Marvel continues to etch her place in her-story with a $35 million domestic total its third weekend out. The Brie Larson-led superhero film officially passed $900 million at the global box office this weekend bringing its cumulative total to $910.3 million. The film is now the 10th highest grossing superhero film of all-time (not adjusted for inflation). Larson will return as the titular character in April’s Avengers: Endgame, for what’s sure to be another box office beast.

Controversy-plagued Wonder Park takes third place with its estimated total of $9 million in its second weekend across 3,838 screens. This brings its cumulative total to $29.5 million, still falling far below its estimated $100 million production budget. The animated family film tells the story of a young girl named June and her imaginative amusement park that comes to life. Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Garner, Mila Kunis, Jeffrey Tambor, Kenan Thompson, Norbert Leo Butz, Ken Jeong, and John Oliver lend their vocal talents to the project, which suffered a setback in Jan. 2018 when director Dylan Brown was fired for “inappropriate and unwanted conduct.”

No other new releases this weekend made the top 10. Teen drama Five Feet Apart takes fourth place, showing remarkable staying power in its second week, falling only 34% from its debut last weekend. The Cole Sprouse and Haley Lu Richardson-led film took in an estimated $8.8 million at the box office across 2,866 screens. Impressively, this tale of love between two cystic fibrosis patients scored fourth place with almost more than 1,000 screens less than third place finisher Wonder Park. Alongside A Madea Family Funeral and No Manches Frida 2, Five Feet Apart helps Lionsgate keep three films in the top ten for the second week running.

Franchise success story How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World rounds out the top five with an estimated $6.5 million across 3,347 screens in its fifth weekend. Its worldwide total is now $488.1 million, placing it just below the $494.9 million total worldwide gross of the original How to Train Your Dragon film.

A24’s Gloria Bell cracked the top ten for the first time in its third week in theaters, expanding its locations from 39 to 654 theaters for a total of $1.8 million, good for seventh place. The film is earning raves for leading lady Julianne Moore, who stars as the titular free-spirited divorcée who finds fulfillment in letting loose on late night dance floors.

Overall box office is down 17 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore, a number that’s steadily improving with the help of Captain Marvel and now Us. Check out the March 22-24 numbers below.

1. Us— $70.3 million
2. Captain Marvel— $35 million
3. Wonder Park— $9 million
4. Five Feet Apart— $8.8 million
5. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World— $6.5 million
6. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral— $4.5 million
7. Gloria Bell— $1.8 million
8. No Manches Frida 2— $1.8 million
9. Lego Movie 2: The Second Part— $1.1 million
10. Alita: Battle Angel— $1 million

Captain Marvel soars to second weekend atop the box office

Captain Marvel is proving to be just as super as her name.

The standalone entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to pulverize the competition at the box office, topping it for the second week running with an estimated haul of $69.3 million in ticket sales at 4,310 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday. With a decline of 55 percent, it becomes the 18th highest second weekend for a film of all time, bumping Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 from that spot.

While franchises have dominated the box office of late, two new original titles land at second and third place. Paramount’s animated Wonder Park takes in an estimated $16 million across 3,838 theaters for the second place spot, while weepy teen drama Five Feet Apart rounds out the top three with an estimated $13.2 million across 2,803 theaters.

As the first female-driven superhero film for Disney and Marvel, Captain Marvel continues to be a feather in their cap. The film introduces audiences to the titular character in the form of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), a part human, part Kree warrior who retains flashes of her life on earth as she fights a member of the Kree strike team known as Starforce. When Danvers crash lands on earth during the 1990s, she attempts to uncover the truth about her past and the origin of her cosmic powers, all the while facing down trouble from the shape-shifting Skrulls infiltrating the planet. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the film also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, Jude Law, and Goose the cat (aka Reggie). Larson will reprise the role in this summer’s Avengers: Endgame.

With an impressive cumulative total of $266.2 domestically, Captain Marvel also expanded its reach internationally, opening to number one in Japan with $5.6 million as the highest stand-along MCU character opening weekend ever there. It raked in another $119.7 million at the international box office, helping to bump its worldwide total to an impressive $760.2 million. Like many superhero films and popular franchise properties, it seems poised to cross the $1 billion mark in the coming weeks.

Animation continues to be a winner at the box office, with Paramount’s family-friendly flick Wonder Park taking second place with $16 million. The film follows the story of a fantastical amusement park where the imagination of the wildly creative young girl, June, comes to life. The voice cast is bursting with top-flight talent including Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Garner, Mila Kunis, Jeffrey Tambor, Kenan Thompson, Norbert Leo Butz, Ken Jeong, John Oliver and is directed by David Feiss.

Though it lands a second-place victory and outperformed expectations by nearly $6 million, the film still falls far below its estimated budget of $100 million. Originally titled Amusement Park, it was in development since 2014 and suffered a setback in January 2018 when director Dylan Brown was fired for “inappropriate and unwanted conduct.” Now, Wonder Park lists no credited director. It snagged a B+ CinemaScore from audiences so perhaps it can continue to recoup some of its pricey budget through word-of-mouth in the weeks to come.

Lionsgate has roared to a prominent position at the box office this weekend, nabbing three spots in the top ten. Most notably, its young adult romantic drama Five Feet Apart takes third place in its first weekend with $13.2 million across 2,803 theaters. With only a modest reported budget of $7 million, the drama has already nearly doubled its costs.

Lionsgate has roared to a prominent position at the box office this weekend, nabbing three spots in the top ten. Most notably, its young adult romantic drama Five Feet Apart takes third place in its first weekend with $13.2 million across 2,803 theaters. With only a modest reported budget of $7 million, the drama has already nearly doubled its costs.

Holdover franchise titles round out the top five with How to Train Your Dragon: Hidden World taking the fourth spot in its fourth week with an estimated total of $9.3 million across 3,727 theaters. It’s now taken in $466.5 million globally, approaching the trilogy’s original film’s overall worldwide gross of $494.8 million. The fifth spot goes to Tyler Perry and his final Madea film, A Madea Family Funeral, with an estimated $8.1 million across 2,350 theaters. This marks Lionsgate’s second film in the top ten this weekend.

The weekend’s other two new releases take sixth and seventh place. Lionsgate’s third top ten film is No Manchas Frida 2 in sixth place, a new release that secured a debut of $3.9 million. The Mexican film is a sequel to the 2016 film No Manchas Frida and features returning cast members Omar Chaparro and Martha Higareda. Other new release this weekend, Focus Features’ sci-fi suspense thriller Captive State falls flat with a debut of $3.2 million. It stars John Goodman, Vera Farmiga, Alan Ruck, James Ransone, D.B. Sweeney and is directed by Rupert Wyatt. Its prospects don’t seem bright with a dismal C-CinemaScore.

Overall box office is down 18.9 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore, a number that’s steadily improving with the addition of Captain Marvel to the year’s box office. Check out the March 15-17 numbers below.

1. Captain Marvel— $69.3 million
2. Wonder Park— $16 million
3. Five Feet Apart— $13.2 million
4. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World— $9.3 million
5. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral— $8.1 million
6. No Manches Frida 2— $3.9 million
7. Captive State— $3.2 million
8. Lego Movie 2: The Second Part— $2.1 million
9. Alita: Battle Angel— $1.9 million
10. Green Book— $1.3 million

Captain Marvel shatters box office ceiling with $153 million opening weekend

Captain Marvel is going higher, further, faster at the box office.

The Marvel film easily soared past its competition for the biggest opening weekend of 2019 and the first title of the year to open to more than $100 million. It won the box office with an estimated opening total of $153 million in ticket sales at 4,310 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday. It marks the seventh biggest opening for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the second-biggest debut of a new Marvel character on the big-screen, behind only last year’s record-breaking Black Panther.

Holdovers How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral take second and third place respectively. In its third week at the box office, the final film in the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy continues to hover near the top of the box office, taking in an estimated $14.7 million across 4,042 theaters. A Madea Family Funeral also marks the end of an era as Tyler Perry’s final Madea film, and it firmly takes third place in its second week with an estimated $12 million across 2,442 theaters.

Captain Marvel introduces audiences to the titular character in the form of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), a part human, part Kree warrior who retains flashes of her life on earth as she fights a member of the Kree strike team known as Starforce. When Danvers crash lands on earth during the 1990s, she attempts to uncover the truth about her past and the origin of her cosmic powers, all the while facing down trouble from the shape-shifting Skrulls infiltrating the planet.

The film marked a major milestone for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as their first female-led superhero film, as well as the first to boast a female director with Anna Boden co-directing with creative partner Ryan Fleck. Captain Marvel had a lot riding on its shoulders, but it smashed every expectation this weekend taking in $302 million internationally for a staggering $455 million global debut. This marks the fifth highest international opening weekend of all-time and the second biggest super-hero weekend behind only Avengers: Infinity War. Notably, it also is the third highest MCU opening weekend in China ever (behind Avengers: Infinity War and Captain America: Civil War) quieting doubts that a female-led film could perform well overseas.

Many have waited with bated breath to see how Captain Marvel performed in comparison to DC’s first female-led superhero outing, 2017’s Wonder Woman. Marvel continues to win the comic book battle between the two major brands, with Captain Marvel’s $153 million surpassing Wonder Woman’s solid $103 million opening weekend. In fact, Captain Marvel’s $455 million global debut makes it the most successful launch for a female-led film ever, surpassing the previous record holder, 2017’s Beauty and the Beast, which took in $357 million globally.

The superhero film is resonating with audiences and critics alike. Despite attempts from internet trolls to tank the Audience Rating score on Rotten Tomatoes, critic reviews have been largely positive and audiences agree — giving the film an A CinemaScore (Marvel Studios’ fourteenth such high mark). The film also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, Clark Gregg, Jude Law, and Goose the cat (aka Reggie) . Larson will reprise the role in this summer’s Avengers: Endgame.

Franchises big and small dominate the box office this March. Second-place title How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World adds $14.7 million in its third weekend, bringing its cumulative domestic total to $119.7 million. This tracks just below the original film in the trilogy, which boasted a three weekend $133.4 million haul.

Third place entry Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral brings its domestic total to $45.9 million with an addition of $12 million in its second weekend, continuing to hold strong as the third best performing Madea film behind 2009’s Madea Goes to Jail and 2006’s Madea’s Family Reunion.

Another cosmic adventure, this time in documentary form, also made impressive moves this weekend. Neon’s documentary about the moon landing Apollo 11 lands in tenth place in its second weekend out across only 405 theaters for an estimated total of $1.3 million of IMAX driven-dollars. The film features never before seen large format footage of the Apollo 11 mission, focusing on the efforts of commander Neil Armstrong and pilots Buzz Aldrin & Michael Collins.

Rounding out the top five is another franchise entry and a still-struggling new sci-fi epic. Lego Movie 2: The Second Part takes fourth place with an estimated total of $3.8 million across 2,930 theaters. Its $97.1 million domestic total across five weekends falls far short of its 2014 predecessor The Lego Movie, which had taken in $224.9 million by its fifth weekend in theaters. Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel closes out the top five with an estimated $3.2 million across 2,374 theaters, bringing its domestic total to a disappointing $78.3 million.

Overall box office is down 21.3 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore, a slight rise from previous weeks boosted by the explosive success of Captain Marvel. Check out the March 8-10 numbers below.

1. Captain Marvel— $153 million
2. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World— $14.7 million
3. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral— $12 million
4. Lego Movie 2: The Second Part— $3.8 million
5. Alita: Battle Angel— $3.2 million
6. Green Book— $2.5 million
7. Isn’t It Romantic— $2.4 million
8. Fighting with my Family— $2.2 million
9. Greta— $2.2 million
10. Apollo 11— $1.3 million

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World flies to second weekend box office victory

Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is far from draggin’ at the box office.

The final entry in the animated franchise continues to soar past the competition, winning the box office for the second weekend in a row with an estimated opening total of $30 million in ticket sales at 4,286 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday. It has now earned an impressive $97.7 million in domestic ticket sales boosting its global total to an estimated $375.4 million, far surpassing the previous titles in the franchise at this stage.

New release Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral takes second place with an estimated $27 million in ticket sales across 2,442 theaters, while the weekend’s other debut title, Isabelle Huppert-led thriller Greta, faltered with a $4.6 million haul across 2,411 theaters for a disappointing eighth place slot.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World continues the Dreamworks animation franchise for the third and final entry in the trilogy. It debuted last week with the biggest opening of the year to date, knocking both the first film’s 2010 opening of $43.7 million and the sequel’s $49.5 million 2014 debut out of the sky. It should hold strong in coming weeks due to positive reviews and a glowing A CinemaScore from audiences.

This conclusion follows young Viking Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his Night Fury dragon Toothless as they seek out the “Hidden World,” a secret dragon utopia home to other Night Furies. The team must find the secret world before hired tyrant Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham) does and uses it for nefarious purposes. Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Cate Blanchett, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, and Kristen Wiig also lend their vocal talents to the film. Dean DeBlois continues his directing duties from the first two films.

While The Hidden World signals the end to the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy, second place this week goes to another final cinematic chapter, Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral. The film marks the end of Tyler Perry’s Madea franchise, which kicked off with 2005’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Perry has enjoyed a long partnership with Lionsgate, releasing 21 films with them, but this also closes the door on that relationship for the time being.

A Madea Family Funeral exceeded expectations with its $27 million release, which puts the film in third place overall in the franchise behind 2009’s Madea Goes to Jail $41 million opening and 2006’s Madea’s Family Reunion $30 million opening. In this final Madea tale, Tyler Perry stars as the titular matriarch in a story that finds a family reunion going awry when a trip to backwoods Georgia results in the planning of an unexpected funeral that threatens to unveil unsavory family secrets.

Mike Tyson, Cassi Davis, Patrice Lovely also star, while Perry dons the directing hat to close out this conclusion to a franchise that shot him to superstardom. Audiences gave the film a warm A- CinemaScore. Madea continues to resonate with women, pulling in a 67% female audience.

Other new release Greta fared more poorly, taking in $4.6 million for an eighth place debut. The Focus Features thriller stars Oscar nominee Isabelle Huppert as the title character, an eccentric and lonely French piano teacher who lures a young woman named Frances (Chloe Gracce Moretz) to her with a lost handbag she left on the subway. Frances soon discovers there might be more to Greta than meets the eye in this sinister tale. Maika Monroe, Colm Feore, Stephen Rea, Jeff Hiller, and Parker Sawyers also star in the Neil Jordan (Interview With The Vampire) helmed film.

Robert Rodriguez’s sci-fi epic Alita: Battle Angel fell to third place with an estimated $7 million across 3,096 theaters, bringing its domestic total to a paltry $72.2 after three weekends. The story of a female cyborg has reportedly taken in $350.4 million worldwide, which does little to make a dent in the rumored $200 million production budget.

Fourth place goes to another animated sequel Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, with an estimated $6.6 million haul across 3,458 theaters in its fourth week out. The latest entry in the Lego franchise now has a domestic cumulative total of $91.7 million, only coming in ahead of 2017’s The Lego Ninjago Movie in four week totals. Despite its all-star voice cast, which includes Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, and Will Arnett, the sequel pales in comparison to its smash-hit predecessor.

Following its Oscar Best Picture victory, Green Book rounds out the top five with an estimated $4.7 million across 2,641 theaters in its sixteenth week at the box office. The film added 1,388 locations on the heels of its Oscar success, which also included wins for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Mahershala Ali.

The film follows driver Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) and pianist Don Shirley (Ali) on a 1962 trip through the American South, where the pair forge an unlikely friendship as they encounter virulent racism, homophobia, and more. Peter Farrelly directed the award-winning film. It now boasts a $75.9 million total, putting it ahead of last year’s Best Picture winner The Shape of Water, which ended its theatrical run with a $63.9 million domestic gross.

Overall box office is down 25.8 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore, still lagging behind the juggernaut success of last year’s Black Panther release. Check out the Feb. 22-24 numbers below.

1. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World— $30 million
2. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral— $27 million
3. Alita: Battle Angel— $7 million
4. Lego Movie 2: The Second Part— $6.6 million
5. Green Book— $4.7 million
6. Fighting With My Family— $4.7 million
7. Isn’t It Romantic— $4.6 million
8. Greta— $4.6 million
9. What Men Want— $2.7 million
10. Happy Death Day 2U — $2.5 million

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World roars to top of box office with biggest debut of the year

It’s an animated weekend at the box office with Universal’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World soaring to the top.

The latest in the animated franchise breathed fire its competition with an estimated opening weekend haul of $55.5 million in ticket sales at 4,259 theaters in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday. This marks the biggest debut of 2019 to date and also the highest opening for a How to Train Your Dragon film, beating both the first film’s 2010 opening of $43.7 million and the sequel’s $49.5 million 2014 debut.

After a soft opening last week, MGM’s Fighting With My Family expanded wide to take the fourth spot with an estimated $8 million across 2,711 theaters. The weekend’s other new release, Roadside Attraction’s Run the Race takes tenth place with an estimated total of $2.3 million across only 853 theaters.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World continues the Dreamworks animation franchise for the third and final entry in the trilogy. This conclusion follows young Viking Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) and his Night Fury dragon Toothless as they seek out the “Hidden World,” a secret dragon utopia home to other Night Furies. The team must find the secret world before hired tyrant Grimmel (F. Murray Abraham) does and uses it for nefarious purposes. Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, Cate Blanchett, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, and Kristen Wiig also lend their vocal talents to the film. Dean DeBlois continues his directing duties from the first two films.

The movie far exceeded box office expectations — it’s rare for the third film in a franchise to beat its predecessors so heftily. It also released internationally early, bringing its global total to an estimated $274. 9 million. The threequel is likely buoyed by glowing reviews and audience reaction seems favorable with a solid A CinemaScore.

MGM opened Fighting With My Family in only four theaters last weekend before expanding to 2,711 theaters for a wider release. It takes the fourth spot with an estimated $8 million haul, bringing its cumulative two weekend total to $8.2 million.

Former professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson produced this WWE comedy about a reformed gangster/wrestler Ricky Knight (Nick Frost) and his wife Julia (Lena Headey) who make their living performing with their children. Johnson makes an expansive cameo as himself, and the film also stars Jack Lowden, Florence Pugh, and Vince Vaughn. Stephen Merchant (Extras) writes and directs.

This weekend’s other new release, Run the Race, takes the tenth spot with a very solid estimated $2.3 million total across 853 theaters. Produced by former NFL player Tim Tebow, the sports drama follows two brothers, one who plays high school football and one who runs tracks, as they face rising tensions from their different world views. This story of brotherhood features Frances Fisher, Mykelti Williamson, Tanner Stine, Mario Van Peebles, Kristoffer Polaha, and Evan Hofer. Chris Dowling directed the faith-based film.

Holdovers rounded out the top five this weekend with sci-fi epic Alita: Battle Angel taking second place with an estimated $12 million total. That brings the Robert Rodriguez flick to a cumulative total of $60.7 million, which still falls far below its rumored $170 million production budget. It fell by nearly 60 percent in its second weekend, though it does have an A- CinemaScore, which suggests it could continue to limp towards recouping its budget with its cumulative global total an estimated $263.4 million.

In its third weekend, Lego Movie 2: The Second Part continues to stay in the top three, taking in an estimated $10 million for third place. That brings its total over three weekends to $83.6 million, which still falls far below the original 2014 film, which stayed atop the box office for three weekends in a row bringing in a total $188.3 million in that time.

Fifth place goes to Warner Bros. meta romantic comedy Isn’t It Romantic, which fell about 47% percent from its opening weekend. The Rebel Wilson led rom-com rounds out the top five with an estimated $7.5 million total, bringing its overall haul to $33.8 million. The film has earned middling reviews and a passable B CinemaScore from audiences.

Overall box office is down 24.8 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore, with cinemas lacking a sizable hit like last year’s record-breaking Black Panther. Though it is Oscars weekend, none of the Best Picture nominees, which were all released over the end of 2018, remain in the box office top ten. Check out the Feb. 22-24 numbers below.

1. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World— $55.5 million
2. Alita: Battle Angel — $12 million
3. Lego Movie 2: The Second Part— $10 million
4. Fighting With My Family— $8 million
5. Isn’t It Romantic— $7.5 million
6. What Men Want— $5.2 million
7. Happy Death Day 2U— $5 million
8. Cold Pursuit— $3.3 million
9. The Upside— $3.2 million
10. Run the Race — $2.3 million