Aquaman is King of the box office with $67 million debut
Warner Bros.’ Aquaman has been flying high in international theaters for a few weeks, and now the latest chapter in the DCEU has finally arrived in the US and posted a $67.4 million debut at the domestic box office. The film now sits at $72 million in the US. This marks the lowest opening weekend for a film in the cinematic universe but the Christmas holiday will no doubt carry it to the high tide. Internationally the film added another $91.3 million to its tally for an international total of $410.7 million and a global total of $482.8 million. Directed by James Wan, Aquaman stars Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman.
Walt Disney Studios’ Mary Poppins Returns opened in second place at the domestic box office, bringing in $22.235 million for the weekend. The film opened earlier in the week on Wednesday the 19th and now sits at $31 million for the five day run. Internationally the film brought in $20.3 million, giving it a global total of $51.3 million. The film opened just north of Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms ($20.35 million) and just behind Disney’s Christopher Robin ($24.585 million). The cast of Mary Poppins Returns includes Emily Blunt, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer and Julie Walters, with Colin Firth and Meryl Streep. Dick Van Dyke also returns for the film, directed by Rob Marshall.
Paramount’s Bumblebee, a soft rebooting of the Transformers franchise, opened in third place with a $21 million haul. The film marks the lowest opening for a movie in the live-action Transformers series, dipping below last year’s Transformers: The Last Knight which opened with $44.68 million. The holiday week will likely boost the film’s final tally, helped by the fact the film was produced on a smaller budget than previous Transformers films ($135 million vs Transformers: The Last Knight with $215 million+). Internationally, Bumblebee opened with $31 million for a global debut of $53 million. Directed by Travis Knight, the film stars Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena, with the voices of Dylan O’Brien, Peter Cullen, Angela Bassett, and Justin Theroux.
Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse fell from first to fourth place for the weekend, adding another $16.5 million to its total. Domestically the animated film has brought in $64.8 million. Internationally the film opened as the #1 movie in China with $26.1 million. The film took in $38 million this weekend from 53 markets for an international total of $64.8 million, giving it a global total of $129.6 million. Directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman, Spider-Verse features the voices of Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Velez, Zoë Kravitz, John Mulaney, Kimiko Glenn with Nicolas Cage, Kathryn Hahn and Liev Schreiber.
Warner Bros.’ The Mule, the latest directorial and acting effort from Clint Eastwood, fell to fifth place with $9.95 million. The film now sits at $35.65 million domestically. Produced on a budget of $50 million, it’s likely the film will serve as good counter-programming across the holiday season and become a modest hit.
Universal Pictures new animated version of Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch slipped into sixth place for the weekend, bringing in another $8.18 million. The animated feature now sits at $253 million domestically. Internationally the film has brought in $169.3 million for a global total of $422.5 million. Benedict Cumberbatch lends his voice as the title character of the animated film, it’s directed by Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney.
STX Films’ Second Act opened in seventh place with $6.5 million debut. Directed by Peter Segal, the rom-com stars Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens, Leah Remini, and Milo Ventimiglia.
