Weekend Actuals: ‘Aquaman’ Cruises to No. 1 Again w/ $31.0M; ‘Escape Room’ ($18.2M) Slides into 2nd over ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ ($15.8M)

Monday Update:

Warner Bros.’ Aquaman three-peated at the box office with a confirmed $31.0M this weekend. Sony’s horror Escape Room started in second place with $18.2M. Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns fell -44% to $15.8M in third place.

Comparisons

Total box office this weekend was $138.7M.

That’s -26.2% below last weekend and -16.2% above this same weekend last year, when Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle first led during its third frame with $37.2M.

Year-to-date box office stands at $250.6M. That’s -5.9% ahead of this same date last year, after the first full weekend.

Demographics

The most male audience in this weekend’s top 10 was Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse at 64.0%, while the most female audience was Mary Poppins Returns at 61.7%.

The most under-25 audience in this weekend’s top 10 was Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse at 56.3%, while the most over-25 audience was Vice at 92.4%.

A full demographic breakdown of the top 30 movies this weekend, courtesy of BoxofficeProfile by Vertigo, is below:


Monday’s Weekend Actuals (Domestic)

FRI, JAN. 4 – SUN, JAN. 6

WIDE (1000+)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Aquaman $31,003,280 -41% 4,184 59 $7,410 $260,024,160 4 Warner Bros.
2 Escape Room $18,238,172 2,717 $6,713 $18,238,172 1 Sony Pictures
3 Mary Poppins Returns $15,860,957 -44% 4,090 0 $3,878 $138,817,262 3 Disney
4 Bumblebee $13,202,603 -37% 3,597 47 $3,670 $97,555,743 3 Paramount Pictures
5 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse $13,126,885 -30% 3,419 -394 $3,839 $133,978,231 4 Sony / Columbia
6 The Mule $9,109,693 -25% 3,212 425 $2,836 $81,177,803 4 Warner Bros.
7 Vice $5,734,509 -26% 2,534 92 $2,263 $29,727,497 2 Annapurna
8 Second Act $4,755,291 -36% 2,523 -84 $1,885 $32,792,366 4 STX Entertainment
9 Ralph Breaks the Internet $4,673,522 -31% 2,050 -293 $2,280 $187,152,693 7 Disney
10 Holmes and Watson $3,302,827 -55% 2,780 4 $1,188 $28,313,749 3 Sony Pictures
11 Bohemian Rhapsody $2,368,141 1% 1,080 199 $2,193 $193,644,966 10 20th Century Fox
12 Mary Queen of Scots $2,146,860 -21% 1,052 211 $2,041 $13,424,885 5 Focus Features
13 Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch $1,168,395 -72% 1,662 -893 $703 $269,622,130 9 Universal
14 Welcome to Marwen $681,790 -70% 1,561 -350 $437 $10,406,625 3 Universal Pictures

LIMITED (100 — 999)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 The Favourite $1,903,292 -22% 771 -39 $2,469 $19,297,628 7 Fox Searchlight
2 If Beale Street Could Talk $1,843,384 141% 335 270 $5,503 $4,409,248 4 Annapurna
3 Green Book $1,807,575 -5% 566 -55 $3,194 $35,230,831 8 Universal Pictures
4 On The Basis Of Sex $1,609,454 134% 112 79 $14,370 $3,707,849 2 Focus Features
5 Creed II $922,650 -42% 893 -175 $1,033 $114,296,602 7 MGM / Warner Bros
6 Instant Family $702,529 -26% 604 -140 $1,163 $66,212,557 8 Paramount Pictures
7 A Star is Born $634,230 29% 268 32 $2,367 $202,110,097 14 Warner Bros.
8 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald $626,219 -37% 401 -114 $1,562 $158,034,792 8 Warner Bros.
9 Ben Is Back $327,730 -39% 159 1 $2,061 $2,511,842 5 Roadside Attractions / LD Entertainment / Lionsgate
10 Mortal Engines $220,495 -78% 572 -2423 $385 $15,767,725 4 Universal
11 Widows $123,626 -16% 125 4 $989 $42,113,791 8 20th Century Fox
12 The Nutcracker and the Four Realms $90,837 -49% 172 -46 $528 $54,785,758 10 Walt Disney Pictures
13 Smallfoot $89,694 -33% 160 -24 $561 $83,152,717 15 Warner Bros.
14 Robin Hood $71,875 -36% 139 -50 $517 $30,795,383 7 Lionsgate / Summit

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Shoplifters $254,034 20% 80 21 $3,175 $1,646,805 7 Magnolia Pictures
2 Destroyer $98,295 78% 6 3 $16,383 $248,081 2 Annapurna Pictures
3 Cold War $90,763 105% 6 3 $15,127 $272,118 3 Amazon Studios
4 Stan & Ollie $87,356 12% 8 3 $10,920 $234,342 2 Sony Pictures Classics
5 At Eternity’s Gate $70,911 -5% 49 -1 $1,447 $1,976,942 8 CBS Films
6 Can You Ever Forgive Me? $60,604 -11% 51 -10 $1,188 $7,645,511 12 Fox Searchlight
7 Venom $58,138 -38% 86 -29 $676 $213,429,141 14 Sony / Columbia
8 Mojin: The Worm Valley $50,583 17 $2,975 $50,583 1 Well Go USA Entertainment
9 Capernaum $32,578 10% 10 1 $3,258 $172,022 4 Sony Pictures Classics
10 Swing Kids $29,370 18% 21 8 $1,399 $195,757 3 Well Go USA Entertainment
11 The Possession of Hannah Grace $28,372 -50% 48 -742 $591 $14,682,696 6 Sony / Screen Gems
12 Burning $24,359 116% 15 6 $1,624 $618,493 11 Well Go USA Entertainment
13 The World Before Your Feet $21,439 63% 10 2 $2,144 $142,789 7 Greenwich Entertainment
14 The Old Man & The Gun $21,433 59% 26 1 $824 $11,231,226 15 Fox Searchlight
15 The Hate U Give $15,854 -26% 31 -2 $511 $29,699,245 14 20th Century Fox
16 Beautiful Boy $13,200 -10% 18 -8 $733 $7,610,815 13 Amazon
17 Wildlife $10,791 141% 13 5 $830 $1,019,480 12 IFC Films
18 Maria By Callas $10,772 50% 15 1 $718 $1,230,392 10 Sony Pictures Classics
19 Vox Lux $10,726 -50% 25 -10 $429 $727,119 5 Neon
20 The Wife $6,510 172% 10 6 $651 $8,206,930 21 Sony Pictures Classics
21 La Religieuse $6,273 1 $6,273 $6,273 1 Rialto Pictures
22 Crazy Rich Asians $5,604 -24% 19 0 $295 $174,530,416 21 Warner Bros.
23 A Private War $4,860 105% 6 2 $810 $1,623,110 10 Aviron Pictures
24 The Charmer $4,149 3 $1,383 $20,049 5 Film Movement
25 Airpocalypse $3,947 -60% 3 -9 $1,316 $103,053 3 China Lion Film
26 Border $3,713 -45% 7 -1 $530 $771,930 11 Neon
27 The House That Jack Built $3,213 -45% 10 -2 $321 $244,724 6 IFC Films
28 State Like Sleep $2,813 10 $281 $2,813 1 The Orchard
29 Becoming Astrid $2,475 173% 3 1 $825 $76,087 7 Music Box Films
30 Wings of Desire (2018 re-release) $1,342 -74% 1 -1 $1,342 $120,816 12 Janus Films
31 Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes $1,194 107% 1 0 $1,194 $38,036 5 Magnolia Pictures
32 A Cool Fish $1,089 -18% 1 0 $1,089 $551,196 8 China Lion Film
33 Hale County This Morning, This Evening $891 75% 6 5 $149 $40,333 17 Cinema Guild
34 Sicilian Ghost Story $704 2 $352 $11,350 6 Strand Releasing
35 The Last Resort $535 -71% 1 0 $535 $20,789 3 Kino Lober Films
36 Of Fathers and Sons $475 6 $79 $6,936 7 Kino Lorber
37 Tyrel $380 85% 1 0 $380 $12,142 5 Magnolia Pictures
38 Senso $282 1 $282 $27,286 11 Rialto Pictures
39 Chef Flynn $158 -73% 1 -1 $158 $66,316 9 Kino Lorber Films
40 Postcards from London $99 1 $99 $5,312 9 Strand Releasing
41 Over the Limit $69 1 $69 $3,243 13 Film Movement

Sunday Update:

On a weekend with just one new wide release to speak of, Aquaman easily sailed into the No. 1 spot for a third weekend in a row with an estimated $30.7 million, while holdovers Mary Poppins Returns, Bumblebee, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse boasted strong legs elsewhere in the top five. Meanwhile, the year’s first new wide release, Sony’s Escape Room, exceeded expectations.

Having now surpassed The Dark Knight Rises as the highest-grossing DC film internationally (not adjusting for inflation), Aquaman held steady in North American theaters in its third weekend, raising its domestic cume to an impressive $259.7 million. The Jason Momoa blockbuster has now surpassed the lifetime domestic gross of 2017’s Justice League ($229 million), with the next DCEU title in its sights being 2013’s Man of Steel, which brought in $291 million in North America. With no major new titles to challenge its dominance until the January 18 release of Universal’s superhero thriller Glass, the Warner Bros. tentpole has relatively smooth sailing over the next couple of weeks.

Making a surprise showing in second place was Sony’s Escape Room, which debuted to a better-than-expected $18 million, continuing the trend of low-budget horror films outperforming forecasts. Indeed, last month’s The Possession of Hannah Grace (also released by Sony) opened to a better-than-expected $6.4 million (its domestic total now stands at $14.6 million), while the studio’s August release Slender Man also did better than predicted when it debuted to $11.3 million (and finished with $30.5 million domestically). Escape Room, budgeted at a reported $9 million, outperformed both of those titles, in part thanks to a lack of horror-movie competition in a frame dominated by feel-good holiday-season fare. Additionally, its PG-13 rating opened the film up to younger teens, allowing it access to a wider cross-section of moviegoers.

Slipping one spot to third place was Mary Poppins Returns with an estimated $15.8 million, a drop of 44% from last weekend. The Disney sequel now has $138.7 million in the bank since opening on December 19, a healthy total that nonetheless falls short of what many had predicted leading up to release. While the comparison is hardly fair, Returns has so far proven to be far more front-loaded than last holiday season’s surprise musical hit The Greatest Showman, which debuted on the same weekend in 2017 with just $8.8 million but (like Returns) actually gained the following weekend before dropping just 11% in its third weekend and posting sub-20% declines over the next several weeks. Luckily, competition for Returns doesn’t look too stiff over the coming weeks, though two heartwarming titles dropping next weekend – A Dog’s Way Home and The Upside – could potentially chip away at its audience.

Fourth place went to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which again showed off its sturdy legs by dipping just 30% from last weekend’s gross with an estimated $13 million. Though it dropped over 50% in its second weekend, the Sony animated superhero flick rebounded in its third weekend by rising 14% from its sophomore frame, and this weekend it continued to demonstrate the power of positive word-of-mouth. Its domestic total now stands at a healthy $133.8 million.

In fifth, Paramount’s Bumblebee brought in an estimated $12.7 million, a 39% drop from last weekend. While the Transformers prequel hasn’t reached the box office heights of the first few films in the series, it has benefitted from stronger legs than a number of its franchise predecessors thanks to positive word-of-mouth; indeed, the film’s Cinemascore is a strong “A-” while its 79% Flixster Audience Score is the second-highest of the series after the first Transformers (85%). With $97.1 million in North America so far, look for the film to surpass $100 million sometime this week, and potentially top the $130 million domestic total of the last film in the series, 2017’s The Last Knight, by the end of its run.

Sixth place went to Warner Bros.’ The Mule, which like many holiday-season holdovers has proven to be a strong repeat performer. This weekend, the latest from Clint Eastwood brought in an estimated $9 million, bringing its domestic total to $81.1 million since opening on December 14. Not adjusting for inflation, it’s now Eastwood’s seventh highest-grossing film as an actor and eight-highest as a director. Budgeted at a reported $50 million, the film could well find its way past the $100 million mark domestically at its current pace.

Finishing in seventh place was Annapurna’s Vice, which held up well with an estimated $5.8 million in its second weekend of release. The Dick Cheney biopic is up for a whopping six Golden Globes at tonight’s ceremony, including Best Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actor – Musical or Comedy for star Christian Bale. Though it dropped just 25% from last weekend’s gross – giving it $29.7 million since opening on Christmas Day – the film’s reported $60 million budget is a steep hill to climb.

Dipping 33% in eighth place was Second Act, the Jennifer Lopez comedy that brought in an estimated $4.9 million this weekend, good for a $32.9 million total in North America. With a reported budget of $16 million, the STX release has proven to be a reasonably strong counter-programmer to the season’s flashier releases, and it will soon surpass the $35.4 million total of Lopez’s last wide-release starring vehicle, 2015 domestic thriller The Boy Next Door.

In ninth place, Ralph Breaks the Internet continued its strong run with an estimated $4.7 million, good for a total of $187.2 million so far. The animated comedy will soon surpass the $189.4 million domestic tally of the first Wreck-It Ralph.

Rounding out the Top 10 was Holmes & Watson, which brought in an estimated $3.4 million, giving it a total of $28.4 million since opening on Christmas Day. The Will Ferrell-John C. Reilly comedy has been spiraling quickly down the charts and will certainly be remembered as one of the more disappointing box office performers of the holiday season.

Limited Release:

Annapurna’s If Beale Street Could Talk expanded to 335 locations this weekend and brought in an estimated $1.8 million, good for a per-screen average of $5,521. Nominated for three Golden Globes and tipped for nods in several Oscar categories, the critically-acclaimed drama from Moonlight director Barry Jenkins is looking to expand further next weekend. Its domestic total now stands at $4.4 million.

Also expanding this weekend was Focus Features’ On the Basis of Sex, which made its way into 113 theaters and brought in an estimated $1.6 million. That’s a decent per-screen average of $14,920 for the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic, which now has $3.7 million since opening on Christmas Day. The film is set to expand further in the coming weeks.

Overseas Update:

Aquaman brought in an estimated $56.2 million overseas this weekend, bringing its international total to $681 million and its worldwide tally to a massive $940.7 million. The DCEU entry is now Warner Bros.’ highest-grossing release ever in Asia, with totals including $282.8 million in China and $35.3 million in Korea. Look for the blockbuster to cross the $1 billion mark worldwide next weekend.

Mary Poppins Returns crossed the $250 million global threshold after grossing an estimated $23 million overseas this weekend. The musical sequel has an international cume of $119.7 million and a global total of $257.9 million.

Ralph Breaks the Internet crossed the $400 million global mark with an estimated $25 million overseas this weekend, bringing its international total to $217.6 million and its worldwide cume to $404.8 million.

Bumblebee powered its way to $82.7 million in 63 markets this weekend, making it the No. 1 film internationally thanks in large part to a $59.4 million opening in China. The film’s overseas total is now $192 million, while its worldwide cume is $289.1 million.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World got a near two-month jump on its North American release in Australia and New Zealand over the weekend, where it brought in an estimated $5.3 million. The film opens in several other overseas markets next weekend ahead of its Feb. 22 release in North America.


Sunday’s Studio Weekend Estimates (Domestic)

FRI, JAN. 4 – SUN, JAN. 6

WIDE (1000+)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Aquaman $30,700,000 -41% 4,184 59 $7,337 $259,720,880 4 Warner Bros.
2 Escape Room $18,000,000 2,717 $6,625 $18,000,000 1 Sony Pictures
3 Mary Poppins Returns $15,773,000 -44% 4,090 0 $3,856 $138,729,305 3 Disney
4 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse $13,010,000 -31% 3,419 -394 $3,805 $133,861,346 4 Sony / Columbia
5 Bumblebee $12,775,000 -39% 3,597 47 $3,552 $97,128,140 3 Paramount Pictures
6 The Mule $9,040,000 -26% 3,212 425 $2,814 $81,108,110 4 Warner Bros.
7 Vice $5,803,490 -25% 2,534 92 $2,290 $29,796,478 2 Annapurna
8 Second Act $4,910,000 -33% 2,523 -84 $1,946 $32,947,075 4 STX Entertainment
9 Ralph Breaks the Internet $4,685,000 -30% 2,050 -293 $2,285 $187,164,171 7 Disney
10 Holmes and Watson $3,400,000 -54% 2,780 4 $1,223 $28,410,922 3 Sony Pictures
11 Bohemian Rhapsody $2,400,000 2% 1,080 199 $2,222 $193,676,825 10 20th Century Fox
12 Mary Queen of Scots $2,204,000 -18% 1,052 211 $2,095 $13,482,025 5 Focus Features
13 Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch $1,159,000 -72% 1,622 -933 $715 $269,612,735 9 Universal

LIMITED (100 — 999)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 The Favourite $1,975,000 -19% 771 -39 $2,562 $19,369,336 7 Fox Searchlight
2 If Beale Street Could Talk $1,849,429 141% 335 270 $5,521 $4,415,293 4 Annapurna
3 Green Book $1,829,000 -3% 566 -55 $3,231 $35,252,256 8 Universal Pictures
4 On The Basis Of Sex $1,671,000 143% 112 79 $14,920 $3,769,395 2 Focus Features
5 Simmba $1,005,087 -43% 292 -9 $3,442 $4,115,808 2 Reliance Entertainment
6 Creed II $973,111 -39% 893 -175 $1,090 $114,347,063 7 MGM / Warner Bros
7 Instant Family $710,000 -26% 604 -140 $1,175 $66,220,028 8 Paramount Pictures
8 Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald $650,000 -34% 401 -114 $1,621 $158,058,573 8 Warner Bros.
9 A Star is Born $635,000 29% 268 32 $2,369 $202,110,867 14 Warner Bros.
10 The Nutcracker and the Four Realms $89,000 -50% 172 -46 $517 $54,783,921 10 Walt Disney Pictures
11 Robin Hood $75,000 -33% 139 -50 $540 $30,798,508 7 Lionsgate / Summit

PLATFORM (1 — 99)

# TITLE WEEKEND LOCATIONS AVG. TOTAL WKS. DIST.
1 Free Solo $114,900 0% 54 -5 $2,128 $11,441,601 15 National Geographic Entertainment
2 Destroyer $110,012 99% 6 3 $18,335 $259,798 2 Annapurna Pictures
3 Stan & Ollie $96,173 23% 8 3 $12,022 $243,159 2 Sony Pictures Classics
4 Cold War $93,000 110% 6 3 $15,500 $274,355 3 Amazon Studios
5 At Eternity’s Gate $61,000 -19% 49 -1 $1,245 $1,967,031 8 CBS Films
6 Capernaum $33,762 14% 10 1 $3,376 $173,206 4 Sony Pictures Classics
7 The World Before Your Feet $18,300 40% 10 2 $1,830 $138,448 7 Greenwich Entertainment
8 Vox Lux $11,023 -49% 25 -10 $441 $727,416 5 Neon
9 Border $2,988 -56% 5 -3 $598 $771,205 11 Neon

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