Key Takeaways:
- "Avatar: Fire and Ash" topped the North American box office charts for the fifth straight weekend with $13.3 million in ticket sales.
- "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" landed in second place with $13 million, despite strong reviews and a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score.
- "Zootopia 2" became the highest grossing animated Motion Picture Association release of all time, with global grosses currently at $1.7 billion.
- "The Housemaid" and "Marty Supreme" continued to perform well, with $8.5 million and $5.5 million in ticket sales, respectively.
- The top 10 movies by domestic box office included a mix of new releases and re-releases, with "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" returning to theaters.
Introduction to the Box Office Results
The holiday weekend saw a mix of new releases and re-releases vying for attention at the box office. Despite strong reviews and a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" landed in second place with $13 million in ticket sales, behind James Cameron’s "Avatar: Fire and Ash," which topped the North American box office charts for the fifth straight weekend with $13.3 million. The Walt Disney Co. also celebrated another win as their Thanksgiving release "Zootopia 2" became the highest grossing animated Motion Picture Association release of all time.
The Performance of "The Bone Temple"
The film, released by Sony Pictures and starring Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, opened wide this weekend in 3,506 theaters on a wave of hype and strong reviews. However, it failed to meet expectations, with a projected $15 million by the end of Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, still trailing "Avatar’s" projected $17.2 million. The film’s performance was considered a head-scratcher, with some attributing it to a case of too much too soon, given that the sequel comes less than a year after the previous installment, "28 Years Later," which opened to $30 million in June.
The Success of "Zootopia 2"
In contrast, "Zootopia 2" continued to perform well, with $8.8 million in its eighth weekend. With global grosses currently at $1.7 billion, it surpassed "Inside Out 2" as the highest grossing MPA animated release of all time. The film’s success is a testament to its enduring appeal, and it is now the ninth biggest global release of all time. The MPA distinction means that the Chinese blockbuster "Ne Zha 2," which has made over $2.2 billion, is not included in the rankings.
Other Notable Performances
Other notable performances included "The Housemaid," which landed in fourth place with $8.5 million, and "Marty Supreme," which became A24’s highest grossing North American release with a running gross of $79.7 million. "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" were also back in theaters this weekend, grossing $3.6 million and $2.4 million respectively. Outside of the top 10, Focus Features’ "Hamnet" expanded to 718 locations this weekend, making $1.3 million through Sunday.
Top 10 Movies by Domestic Box Office
The top 10 movies by domestic box office included a mix of new releases and re-releases. The list was topped by "Avatar: Fire and Ash," followed by "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple," "Zootopia 2," "The Housemaid," and "Marty Supreme." The list also included "Primate," "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring," "Greenland 2: Migration," "Anaconda," and "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." The final domestic figures will be released on Tuesday, and the list may change based on the actual ticket sales.
Conclusion and Future Prospects
In conclusion, the holiday weekend saw a mix of new releases and re-releases vying for attention at the box office. While "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" failed to meet expectations, "Zootopia 2" continued to perform well, becoming the highest grossing animated Motion Picture Association release of all time. The top 10 movies by domestic box office included a mix of new releases and re-releases, and the final domestic figures will be released on Tuesday. As the awards season approaches, it will be interesting to see how these films perform in the coming weeks.
