Weekend Box Office Report: December 14-16, 2018

Spidey webs a weekend win!

A squad of Spider-people (and one Spider-pig) came swinging into theaters this weekend and grabbed first place as SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE opened with an estimated $35.4 million!

The multi-dimensional cluster of wall-crawlers had the biggest December opening for an animated movie, but couldn't quite compare to the live-action versions of Marvel's famous superhero. Of the web-head's six other headlining appearances, the 2012 reboot THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN with Andrew Garfield had the lowest opening with a $62 million start (Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN 3 is the big winner with $151 million).

The PG-rated feature, written by THE LEGO MOVIE and 21 JUMP STREET duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, came with a reported cost of $90 million.

Critics were dazzled by the diverse Spider-gang's energetic adventures, giving the movie a spectacular 97% average on Rotten Tomatoes.  Leap over to the JoBlo review HERE.

Opening in second place was Clint Eastwood's new drama THE MULE with $17.2 million.

Also directed by the Hollywood veteran, the R-rated crime thriller held up fairly well compared to openings for some of his other recent directing efforts — $12.5 million for last year's THE 15:17 TO PARIS and $13.3 million for 2014's JERSEY BOYS. However, SULLY flew much higher with a $35 million takeoff in 2016 and AMERICAN SNIPER blew it away with $89 million on its first wide weekend in January 2015.

For Eastwood's acting roles, it's better than the $12 million opening of his last on-screen appearance in 2012's THE TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE and close to the $18 million launch of SPACE COWBOYS in 2000, but some distance from the $29 million first wide weekend of 2009's GRAN TORINO (still his biggest movie with a domestic gross of $148 million).

Eastwood's 37th feature behind the camera cost a reported $50 million. Critics were mixed on the screen legend's drug trafficking exploits, giving it an average of 62% on Rotten Tomatoes.

THE GRINCH continued slinking around Whoville in third place with $11.5 million, taking the animated Dr. Seuss Christmas criminal to a domestic total of $239.2 million and $372 million worldwide over its sixth weekend (on a reported $75 million cost).

After sitting on top for three weeks, Disney's RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET tumbled to fourth place with $9.5 million. The $175 million WRECK-IT RALPH sequel has reached a domestic total of $154.4 million and a worldwide total of $285.1 million.

In fifth place was the new post-apocalypse fantasy MORTAL ENGINES with an opening of $7.5 million.

Produced by Peter Jackson and directed by his FX protege Christian Rivers, the adaptation of Philip Reeve's young-adult steampunk books about mobile cities cost a reported $100 million.

The PG-13 adventure has captured an additional $34.8 million since it started rolling in international territories last week for a current worldwide total of $42.3 million.

Critics were clearly not impressed with the war between futuristic locomotive towns, giving the movie a 28% average on Rotten Tomatoes. You can steer over to the JoBlo review HERE.

The boxing sequel CREED II was in sixth place with $5.3 million, punching up a domestic total of $104.8 million and drawing closer to the original CREED's $109 million finish. The ROCKY spinoff now has a worldwide total of $131.8 million on a reported $50 million cost.

Rock drama BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY was in seventh place with $4.1 million as the Queen biopic has made it to $180.4 million domestic and $635 million globally after seven weekends on stage (it cost a reported $52 million).

In eighth was the PG-13 adoption comedy INSTANT FAMILY with $3.7 million. On its fifth weekend, the $48 million Mark Wahlberg / Rose Byrne foster family story has a domestic total of $60.2 million.

"Wizarding World" spinoff FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE CRIMES OF GRINDELWALD was in ninth with $3.6 million for a domestic total of $151.6 million. The $200 million sequel seems to have found its audience overseas with a worldwide total of $595.8 million.

Closing out the list was the PG-13 fact-based drama GREEN BOOK with $2.7 million as the $23 million Viggo Mortensen / Mahershala Ali road trip has traveled to a domestic total of $24.6 million.

Outside the chart, heist drama WIDOWS disappeared along with folklore hero ROBIN HOOD and horror-thriller THE POSSESSION OF HANNAH GRACE.

The PG-13 trim of ONCE UPON A DEADPOOL was released on over 1500 screens for a $2.6 million weekend, and $3.8 million since the experimental remix hit theaters on Wednesday.

In limited release, the romantic drama IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK had a strong start with a $54k per-screen average. MOONLIGHT director Barry Jenkins' adaptation of the James Baldwin book also got a positive nod from critics with a 93% Rotten Tomatoes average (the JoBlo review is HERE).

DC Comics superhero AQUAMAN continued to make a splash with international audiences, swimming to a $261 million total before he arrives on North American shores next weekend.

In addition to AQUAMAN's aquatic adventures, next weekend brings a Transformer's 1980s origin in BUMBLEBEE, while Jennifer Lopez has a SECOND ACT and Steve Carell bids you WELCOME TO MARWEN.

What is your favorite Spider-Man movie? VOTE HERE!