WhileStar Warsused to be king of the summer with a cushy May release date, the last two have opened in December, and based on the long-term success they’re finding this month, Disney is likely to keep the franchise there. There were no new wide releases this weekend, soRogue One: A Star Wars Storyhad a clear path to keeping its box office crown for another weekend. According toBox Office Mojo, the film pulled in $18 million on Friday to bring its domestic total to $393 million. Worldwide, the latestStar Warsmovie has raked in $706 million, and it shows no sign of slowing down. Keep in mind that the film hasn’t even opened in China yet, which should yield a huge boost to the picture’s international take.
Illumination Entertainment’sSingis also set to have a good weekend. The movie pulled in $16.8 million on Friday and has already grossed $140 million. With kids out for their winter break, the movie should have no trouble becoming a massive hit at the box office, and it wouldn’t surprise me if Illumination announcesSing 2sometime in the New Year.
From there, the box office took a precipitous drop, withPassengerscoming in third with a Friday total of $5.6 million. The movie has grossed $50 million domestic, which isn’t bad, but it’s not the powerhouse total you’re looking for when you’ve got two A-listers leading a big budget sci-fi romance. The film had a reported budget of $110 million.
In fourth place,Moanacontinued to show its legs by pulling in $4.3 million, which brings its total to $203 million domestic. While it still has a ways to go to catch up withZootopia, the film has certainly proved to be yet another hit for Disney Studios Animation.
Finally,Fencestook in $3.4 million on Friday, which brought its current total to $23 million. While that may seem small in comparison to the films ahead of it on the box office chart, keep in mind thatFencesonly cost about $20 million to make, so the film is already becoming profitable. With Oscar nominations pretty much assured for leadsDenzel WashingtonandViola Davis,Fencesis likely to have some staying power at the box office.
Come back tomorrow for the full weekend numbers, and have a Happy New Year!
