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Box Office: 'Ford v Ferrari' Races to #1 While 'Joker' Becomes First R-Rated Film to
Fox's Ford v Ferrari more than lived up to the most aggressive of pre-weekend expectations, delivering a #1 performance at the domestic weekend box office. However, Sony's Charlie's Angels struggled mightily in its debut, failing to reach the lowest of expectations, which means the film's third place finish puts the weekend's overall performance into perspective. In better news, WB's Joker became the fourth DC Comics adaptation to ever top $1 billion at the global box office and the first R-rated movie to ever reach that milestone.
Finishing in the winner's circle atop the weekend box office, is Fox's Ford v Ferrari with an estimated $31 million. The performance is well ahead of Mojo's pre-weekend forecast and even tops the most optimistic of industry expectations and comes with an outstanding "A+" CinemaScore. The film played to a male-dominated crowd with men making up 62% of the audience and 79% of the overall crowd coming in aged 25 or older.
Internationally, Ford v Ferrari brought in $21.4 million from 41 markets for a $52 million global debut, enjoying #1 openings in several including Russia, which serves as the film's top international market with a $3.2 million debut. Additional openings include the UK ($2.3m), France ($2.3m), Australia ($1.7m), Italy ($1.3m), Mexico ($1.1m) and Germany ($1.0m). Upcoming releases include a December 5 release in Korea followed by Japan on January 10.
Lionsgate's Midway slipped to second this weekend, dipping -51% with an estimated $8.75 million for a domestic cume that now tops $35 million after ten days in release. The film's position in the top ten, however, is a tight one as two more films have a chance of moving up the list once actuals come in tomorrow.
First in line, competing for second place, is Sony's Charlie's Angels, which was expected to finish anywhere from $12-13 million this weekend, but was ultimately unable to hit double digits, delivering a disappointing $8.6 million debut. The $48 million production received a "B" CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences, which were 61% female with 55% of the overall audience coming in aged 25 or older.
Internationally, Angels began its overseas play in 26 markets with an estimated $19.3 million, including a $7.7 million opening in China. The film also brought in $1.3 million with a second place finish in Australia and another $1 million from Russia. Upcoming releases including a November 29 release in the UK followed by Spain (Dec 5), France (Dec 25), Mexico (Jan 1), Germany (Jan 2), Italy (Jan 9), Japan (Jan 21) and South Korea (Feb 26). Overall, the film is looking at a disappointing, $27.9 million global debut.
Paramount's Playing with Fire, holding on extremely well in its sophomore frame, dipped just -33% for an estimated $8.55 million, moving the film up one spot from its opening last weekend, though once actuals come in it could move up a bit more. The film's domestic cume now stands at $25.4 million as the studio appears to have a small family hit on their hands.
Internationally, Playing with Fire maintained its release in the same 11 markets from last weekend and added another $1.3 million for an overseas cume that now stands at $4.5 million. The film will open in Australia in mid-December followed by releases in the UK (Dec 27), Spain (Jan 17), Brazil (Jan 23) and Germany and Russia in early February.
Rounding out the top five is Universal's Last Christmas with an estimated $6.7 million, pushing the film's domestic cume to $22.6 million after ten days in release. Internationally the film added $8.6 million for a $13 million overseas cume and a global total that now stands at $35.5 million.
Further down the list, WB's The Good Liar debuted in 2,439 locations and delivered on expectations with an estimated $5.65 million, The film received a "B" CinemaScore while playing to a crowd that was 60% female with 85% of the overall crowd coming in aged 35 or older. Internationally, the film began playing overseas last weekend and is now playing in 12 markets where it grossed an estimated $1.5 million for an international cume that now stands at $3.9 million for a worldwide total reaching $9.6 million.
In eighth position is where WB's Joker finished this weekend at the domestic box office, adding another $5.6 million to its now $322.6 million domestic cume. However, it's the film's global performance that is making news this weekend as the film became only the fourth DC Comics adaptation, the seventh release of 2019 and the first ever R-rated movie to top the $1 billion mark. Equally impressive is the Joker is only the third movie ever to top $1 billion without a China release, the other two being fellow DC adaptation The Dark Knight and 2006's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
Overall, to go along with its $322.6 million domestically, Joker added $13 million this weekend internationally for an overseas cume totaling $694 million and a global tally reaching $1.017 billion. The performance currently places the film 43d all-time at the worldwide box office, just ahead of The Dark Knight ($1.004b).
In limited release, A24's Waves delivered an estimated $144,562 for a chart-topping, $36,140 per theater average. The film will open in top markets this coming weekend and continue to rollout slowly into the holiday season. Additionally, Roadside debuted The Warrior Queen of Jhansi in 276 locations with an estimated $125,395 ($454 PTA) and Utopia's Mickey and the Bear opened in one theater with an estimated $9,523.
Next weekend will see Disney's Frozen II explode into over 4,200 theaters alongside Sony's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood in 3,100 locations and STX's action thriller 21 Bridges, debuting in ~2,700 theaters.
