Weekend Box Office: 'Daddy's Home 2' Laughs Past 'Orient Express' With $30M

'Thor: Ragnarok' wins overall with a sophomore haul of nearly $57 million; 'Lady Bird' and 'Three Billboards' shine at the specialty box office.

The better-than-expected openings of Daddy's Home 2 and Murder on the Orient Express — which took in $30 million and $28.2 million, respectively — provided a much-needed balm after a string of fall films were spurned by audiences.


The losing streak, of course, despite apply to Disney and Marvel Studios' Thor: Ragnarok , which won the weekend overall. The tentpole grossed nearly $57 million in its sophomore outing to thunder past $200 million domestically and well north of $600 million globally.


Paramount's Daddy's Home 2, playing in 3,565 theaters, came in second after snagging the second-best debut of the year so far for a comedy. Paramount was in sore need of a victory after such mishaps as Darren Aronofsky's mother! and George Clooney's Suburbicon.


The sequel sees the return of Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, with Mel Gibson and John Lithgow joining the cast. This time out, Dusty (Wahlberg) and Brad (Ferrell) join forces to create the perfect holiday for their kids, but their alliance is put to the test when their own fathers show up. Linda Cardellini, John Cena and Alessandra Ambrosio also star.


The first Daddy's Home launched to $38.7 million over its Christmas 2015 weekend debut, but had the advantage of playing to families for the holidays. The sequel scored an A- CinemaScore, compared to a B+ for the first one.


Daddy's Home 2 marks Gibson's best opening as an actor since Signs in 2002.


From Fox and director Kenneth Branagh, Murder on the Orient Express followed at No. 3. The adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic tale, playing in 3,341 theaters, beat projections despite so-so reviews and a B CinemaSCore.


In addition to directing, Branagh stars in the movie opposite Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr. and Daisy Ridley. It marks the fourth big-screen or television adaptation of Agatha Christie's classic tale.


Despite the entry of Daddy's Home 2, STXfilms' Bad Moms Christmas impressed in its second weekend, grossing an estimated $11.6 million in its second weekend for a domestic total of $40 million. Bad Moms 2 dipped 45 percent from its five-day debut, and 31 percent from its first weekend proper.
Orient Express, Daddy's Home 2 and Bad Moms 2 are positioned to play through the Thanksgiving holiday.


At the specialty box office, Greta Gerwig's critically acclaimed dramedy Lady Bird continued to fly high as it expanded into a total of 37 theaters. From A24, the movie shot up to No. 10 with $1.2 million for a mighty screen average of $33,766 and 10-day domestic total of $1.8 million.


Fox Searchlight's Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, starring Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson, scored a screen average of roughly $80,000 in its debut in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles.