For whatever reason, each year, the major studios mostly avoid opening anything substantial in wide release on the weekend after Thanksgiving. I still don’t understand why, especially considering the onslaught of movies that are coming in the rest of December, but that’s just fine for Disney, who kept hold of the top spot at the box office.
“Moana” comfortably stayed in the number one slot in its second week, with $28.3 million. Critically beloved, and doing solid business, this is another hit for the mouse house, and it’s really just a question of how big it’ll get. Certainly, the weeks ahead will be a challenge, especially with “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” gearing up to conquer the globe. However, never underestimate the need for parents to occupy kids over the holidays, and the fact that there’s plenty of room this month for movies to quietly turn out surprisingly strong figures.
READ MORE: Disney’s ‘Moana’ Is An Inspired, Spellbinding Tribute To The Human Spirit [Review]
On the opposite end of the spectrum, for reasons I can’t fathom, High Top Releasing felt the need to drop the barely promoted, critically slammed horror “Incarnate” in over 1,700 theaters. Perhaps hoping for some kind of sleeper hit, they didn’t get one, with the cheapie horror earning a tepid $2.6 million. On the plus side, it means the movie will likely/eventually make back its $5 million budget. However, no one is going to think or talk about this movie ever again.
In limited release, Fox Searchlight are off to a good start with “Jackie,” with the Oscar contender scoring a strong $55,000 per-screen average in five cinemas, for a haul of $275,000. And with awards-season buzz continuing to swirl around Natalie Portman, this bodes well as the film gears up to expand more widely in the weeks ahead. Also opening, Mia Hansen-Løve‘s “Things To Come” found a crowd on three screens, scoring a total of $33,090. Meanwhile, Denis Villeneuve‘s sci-fi “Arrival” continues to captivate, crossing $100 million worldwide this week.
1. “Moana” — $28.3 million ($119.8 mil.)
2. “Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them” — $18.5 million ($183.5 mil.)
3. “Arrival” — $7.3 million ($73 mil.)
4. “Allied” — $7 million ($28.9 mil.)
5. “Doctor Strange” — $6.4 million ($215.3 mil.)
6. “Trolls” — $4.6 million ($141.3 mil.)
7. “Hacksaw Ridge” — $3.4 million ($57.2 mil.)
8. “Bad Santa 2” — $3.2 million ($14.2 mil.)
9. “Incarnate” — $2.6 million
10. “Almost Christmas” — $2.5 million ($38.1 mil.)