The Harry Potter series is nothing if not consistent. The latest entry into the Potterverse, FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD, is on pace to come in around $70 million at the weekend box office, which will put it about $4 million less than its predecessor, but still pretty consistent. Critic reviews have been mixed on the film, some calling it a blast and others calling it a mess. But like Star Wars, people just love being a part of that world and so any movie in that universe is probably going to pull in some nice cash. The other big new movie of the weekend was Mark Wahlberg’s INSTANT FAMILY. The film has some good intentions, but without Will Ferrell or Ted, the Wahlberg comedy struggled and is looking at fifth place.
Next week will be an epic showdown between two sequels, RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET and CREED II. Both of them had originals that were far better than most people were expecting and early word on the sequels is that they’re both pretty enjoyable. However, if you follow box office news, you know you should never bet against an animated film, especially when it doesn’t have any competition. Also, Disney took some punches with the underperforming CHRISTOPHER ROBIN and THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS. I wouldn’t bet Disney would have three disappointments in a row. But CREED II will be just fine. Everyone loves the cheesiness of ROCKY IV and bringing back Drago for another go-around is practically a sure-thing. Oh, and there’s also ROBIN HOOD, which looks like fun, but I can’t imagine it will have a broad enough appeal to do much damage at the box office. For the Oscar-chasers, we have THE GREEN BOOK and THE FAVOURITE both hitting theaters. Note: the numbers below will be updated as they become final.
1.Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald $69.5m
2. The Grinch $31m
3. Bohemian Rhapsody $16m
4. Widows $13.3m
5. Instant Family $12.5m
6. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms $5.8m
7. Overlord $10.1m
8. The Girl in the Spider’s Web $8.8m
9. A Star Is Born $8m
10. Nobody’s Fool $6.4m
(Deadline)