Even though it arrived somewhat later than fans may have expected, a good six years after Wreck-It Ralph, the Disney sequel Ralph Breaks The Internet opened to a giant $84.5 million over the Thanksgiving weekend, proving that audience goodwill for these characters has not diminished in that time, and all but ensuring a third entry.
That's the second best opening Thanksgiving weekend ever, only behind fellow Disney Animation offering Frozen. In a weekend defined by family-friendly film offerings, there is simply no stopping the House of Mouse.
In what now seems to be a very smart case of counter-programming, Creed II opened in second place to a very solid $55.8 million over the weekend. It's the highest ever gross for a live-action film released over the Thanksgiving period, and demonstrates that there's still plenty of gas left in the Rocky franchise, which is now seven movies deep.
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald came in third, dropping 52% to earn $43 million, bringing its total to $117 million. Although it's not an insignificant number, and the film's global total now stands at a hefty $440, executives at Warner Bros. will undoubtedly be wringing their hands over how the film's relatively unenthusiastic critical and fan reception affected its box office takings.
The fourth, fifth and sixth spots at the box office were all held by holdovers: The Grinch, Bohemian Rhapsody and Instant Family, all of which earned more money than the opening weekend of the new Robin Hood movie.
The would-be blockbuster only brought in $14.2 over the Thanksgiving weekend, a disappointing reception from any angle. It's the first major Robin Hood movie since the not-fondly recalled 2010 Russell Crowe film, and although he's one of the most recognisable characters in human history, it doesn't feel like audiences were especially clamouring for a new take on the legend, especially one that the marketing made seem “modern” in all the worst ways.
Based on the trailer, the new Robin Hood film appeared to be tackling the material with a Guy Ritchie-influenced approach, all quick cuts, numble camera-work and anachronistic dialogue, evoking Ritchie's 2017 King Athur movie, which also tanked at the box office. He's played nothing but leading roles since he emerged with Kingsman, but I guess Taron Egerton isn't quite a movie star yet.
On the specialty box office front, Deadline is reporting that Alfonso Cuarón's highly touted Netflix film Roma earned an estimated $200,000 in its limited release in New York and Los Angeles. That's more of an estimation than usual, as Netflix isn't releasing official numbers for the film, which is currently an extremely strong contendor for the Best Picture Oscar. Whether or not the film's chances are affected by what many people are calling a “token” release remains to be seen.
Another limited release, Yorgos Lanthimos' royal dramedy The Favourite, earned an impressive $420,000 in just four theaters, which bodes well for the film's already bountiful Oscar buzz.
With Christmas beginning to make its presence known, the remainder of the year will see family-friendly blockbusters share screens with a number of Oscar-ready films hoping to rise above the pack.