Box Office Weekend: Star Wars: The Last Jedi Dominates

As expected, the latest installment of the Star Wars saga, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, finished atop the box office in its first weekend. In fact, earning an estimated $220 million gave the film the second largest opening weekend of all time, just behind its predecessor, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), which earned $247.9 million.

Finishing in a very distant second was the animated feature Ferdinand with $13.3 million. But, solid reviews point to a possible increase for the Blue Sky film in the coming weeks. The Top Ten’s second animated feature, Coco, finished in third place adding another $10 million to raise its four-week total to $150.8 million.

Wonder fell from third to fourth bring in $5.4 million to bring its five-week total to $109.3 million. Completing the top five this weekend is the Warner Bros./DC Comics team-up Justice League, which took in $4.2 million to up its five-week take to $219.5 million (and a global total of approximately $634 million).

The bottom five films remain somewhat clumped together with Daddy’s Home 2 finishing in sixth. The comedy sequel made $3.8 million in its sixth week of release to up its total to $96.6 million. Thor: Ragnarok continues to hold onto a spot in the top ten, with $3 million this weekend and a seven-week total of $306.4 million; number which proved good enough for seventh place. The movie behind the movie, The Disaster Artist brought in $2.6 million, landing it in eight place, just ahead of Murder on the Orient Express, which finished with $2.5 million for the weekend and looks as though its preparing to depart the top ten shortly. The final spot in this week’s listing, Lady Bird, finished with $2.1 million to raise its seven-week total to $26 million. Not bad for an independent film at a time when so many multiplex consuming blockbusters are being released.

Next week will see the release of several new films that could challenge, but not necessarily take the box office crown from Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Hugh Jackman tries with The Greatest Showman on Wednesday. On Friday, Dwayne Johnson will give it a shot with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The holiday also brings such diverse fare as the final film in the Pitch Perfect trilogy; Alexander Payne’s Downsizing; and the, ahem, comedy Father Figures.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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