Disney Animation Studios' Ralph Breaks the Internet stayed a big winner in its second outing, earning another $25.8 million from 4,017 theatres to top the box office chart in North America.
The weekend after Thanksgiving is one of the quietest of the year in terms of fresh studio offerings, and this year was no exception as Ralph 2 and a crop of other tasty leftovers dominated and drove overall revenue up nearly 12 per cent over the same frame last year.
The only new wide title on the marquee, The Possession of Hannah Grace, couldn't scare up much business, landing at No. 7 with roughly $6.5 million.
Hannah Grace tells the tale of a shocking exorcism that claims the life of a young woman. Months later, a morgue worker (Shay Mitchell) takes delivery of a disfigured body and, as it's locked inside the basement, begins to experience horrifying visions and a demonic force. Sony insiders say the film, which debuted to $4.2 million overseas from 17 markets, will turn a profit, considering its modest production cost of less than $8 million before marketing.
Ralph Breaks the Internet's domestic total of $119.3 million is on par with fellow Disney Thanksgiving hits Moana and Coco at the same point in their runs. Overseas, Ralph 2 took in another $33.7 million from its first 27 markets for a foreign tally of $87.7 million and an early worldwide cume of $207 million.
The animated sequel, falling 54 per cent from Thanksgiving weekend, wasn't the only family film to prosper: Illumination and Universal's The Grinch came in No. 2 in its fourth weekend with $17.7 million from 3,934 theatres. On Sunday, the holiday-themed film crossed the $200 million mark in North America to finish the day with a domestic cume of $203.5 million and a global haul of $268.3 million.
MGM and New Line's boxing film Creed II came in at No. 3 in its sophomore outing, dipping 53 per cent to $16.8 million from 3,576 cinemas for an impressive domestic cume of $81.2 million. Internationally, the pic has grossed $11.4 million to date.
Warner Bros.' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald followed with $11.2 million in its third weekend for a domestic total of $134.3 million. The sequel continues to pace well behind the first Fantastic Beasts, which had grossed $183.1 million at the same point in time.
Grindelwald is faring better overseas, where it once again topped the foreign chart with $40.2 million from 80 markets for an offshore total of $385.3 million and $519.6 million globally. The Harry Potter spinoff has taken in $33.8 million to date in the UK and $56.2 million in China. Also in China, Warners opened Crazy Rich Asians over the weekend to dismal results, as the rom-com grossed just north of $1 million in the Middle Kingdom.
The Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody finished its fifth outing with an impressive domestic total of $164.4 million upon earning another $8.1 million to round out the weekend's top five. Fox, New Regency and GK Film are partners on the movie, which almost topped Grindelwald overseas. Bohemian Rhapsody grossed $37 million from 72 markets for a foreign total of $375.1 million and $539.5 million globally.
Lionsgate's big-budget Robin Hood continued to stumble in its second weekend, grossing $4.2 million for a domestic total of $21.7 million. Internationally, it has earned $26.3 million to date for a $48 million cume worldwide.
DreamWorks and Participant Media's awards contender Green Book sported the lowest drop of any film in wide release (29 per cent) after being named best picture by the National Board of Review. The pic, going out through Universal, rounded out the top 10 with $3.9 million for a domestic total of $14 million.
The results were decidedly mixed for new offerings at the specialty box office. Warner Bros.' Alzheimer's drama Head Full of Honey, starring Nick Nolte and opening in four locations in New York City and Los Angeles, reported a disappointing theatre average of roughly $2,250, according to Hollywood Reporter.
Anna and the Apocalypse fared somewhat better, opening in five locations to a screen average of $11,000.
Instead, the big winner was the Fox Searchlight holdover The Favourite, which expanded into a total of 34 theatres in its second weekend. Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos' period drama moved up the chart to No. 14, grossing $1.1 million for a location average of $32,500 — the best of the weekend — and an early domestic total of $1.7 million.
