| No | Movie Title | Weekend Gross | Overall Gross | Week # |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maleficent: Mistress of Evil | $36,000,000 | $36,000,000 | 1 |
| 2 | Joker | $29,205,000 | $247,229,004 | 3 |
| 3 | Zombieland 2: Double Tap | $26,725,000 | $26,725,000 | 1 |
| 4 | The Addams Family | $16,057,007 | $56,816,034 | 2 |
| 5 | Gemini Man | $8,500,000 | $36,516,543 | 2 |
| 6 | Abominable | $3,500,000 | $53,915,070 | 4 |
| 7 | Downton Abbey | $3,080,000 | $88,612,460 | 5 |
| 8 | Judy | $2,055,975 | $19,018,113 | 4 |
| 9 | Hustlers | $2,050,000 | $101,871,912 | 6 |
| 10 | It: Chapter Two | $1,505,000 | $209,659,518 | 4 |
After two weeks at the top of the charts, Joker has finally been taken down a notch by none other than Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil won the North American box office this weekend with an impressive but-not-groundbreaking $36 million. That pales in comparison to the first film’s opening of $69 million but I don’t think anyone was expecting this movie to outdo the original. $36 million for an opening in late October? Not too bad but I wouldn’t hold my breath for a Maleficent 3.
Meanwhile, Joaquin Phoenix continues to impress as Joker slips down to number two. The film’s third week brought in $29,205,000 which is nothing to sneeze at and shows that even though everyone and their mother have seen the film, it is still bringing in quite an audience. It’s already racked up nearly $250,000,000 and is only in its third week. This movie has staying power and every moment it remains on the charts is another moment WB’s pockets get even fuller. You know executives all over that studio are desperately trying to figure out how to make a sequel to the movie.
Zombieland 2: Double Tap, the sequel to a film that came out seemingly fifty years ago made a splash this weekend too. The movie garnered a commendable $26,725,000 which isn’t too shabby for a sequel that comes years after the original. Audiences seemed to like this follow-up far more than the ill-fated TV spinoff that lasted half-a-second. Good for the Zombieland folks. I was never crazy about the first film but it’s always good to see horror-comedy attract a crowd. And, hey, at least director Ruben Fleischer wasn’t stuck making Venom 2 instead.
Let’s see, what else did the box office gods grant us this weekend? Will Smith’s Gemini Man struggled to stay relevant in its second week, bringing its total gross to just $36 million. Those are sad numbers for a Will Smith movie and the Fresh Prince is likely at home crying into a giant pile of money. It: Chapter Two hopped over the $200 million mark and Hustlers did the same with the $100 million threshold. Meanwhile Downton Abbey surpassed Brokeback Mountain as Focus Feature’s most successful domestic hit. That’s a win for stuffy old white people who honestly really need more success these days.
Next week will be a quiet one at the box office with cop drama Black and Blue being released alongside horror film Countdown and The Current War: Director’s Cut. There’s a decent chance that Joker may bump back up a spot next weekend and retake the top spot. That really isn’t out of the realm of possibility. But who knows, maybe Gemini Man will suddenly jump up a few spots and be number one. I feel that the universe is uncomfortable with a Will Smith film flopping and will do something to correct itself. Stay tuned.
