Weekend Box Office Report: January 6-8, 2017

Rogue One is still number one!

It may be a brand new year, but one thing hasn’t changed: STAR WARS is still the biggest attraction at the box office as ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY remained in first place with an estimated $21.9 million!

The standalone prequel from director Gareth Edwards now has a domestic total of $477 million after a month in theaters, and is destined to pass the $486 million finish of FINDING DORY to become the highest-grossing release of 2016.

With $914 million worldwide in the bank so far, it's hard to imagine that a series of self-contained spinoff/prequel STAR WARS movies was ever considered a "risk".

The NASA drama HIDDEN FIGURES expanded into wide release and nearly toppled the Empire from their box office throne, rocketing into a close second with $21.8 million.

The fact-based story featuring Octavia Spencer, Taraji P. Henson and singer Janelle Monáe cost a reported $25 million, and has a domestic total of $24.7 million since its limited run began on Christmas. The adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly's book is also orbiting a critical average of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes (you can read the JoBlo review HERE).

In third place was the animated animal musical SING with another $19.5 million, bringing its domestic total to $213 million on its third weekend in theaters. The PG-rated family comedy from DESPICABLE ME creators Illumination Entertainment has a worldwide total of $356.8 million.

Opening in fourth place was the R-rated sequel UNDERWORLD: BLOOD WARS with $13.1 million. The fifth in the series of action-horror movies, which once again features Kate Beckinsale as the lethal leather-bound leading lady, cost a reported $35 million.

Although BLOOD WARS marks the lowest domestic opening of the franchise (prequel RISE OF THE LYCANS was previously on the bottom with a $20.8 million start), the latest chapter of the ongoing vampire-werewolf war has already gathered an additional $50 million from international audiences since it opened in November. Critics jabbed a stake in the movie with 22% on Rotten Tomatoes (check out the JoBlo review HERE).

The Ryan Gosling/Emma Stone frolic LA LA LAND trotted up to fifth place with $10 million after adding another 765 screens. The $30 million musical has danced its way to a domestic total of $51.6 million and $85.7 million worldwide.

On the lower half of the list, the Chris Pratt/Jennifer Lawrence space journey PASSENGERS was in sixth with $8.8 million. The $110 million galactic romance has traveled to a worldwide total of $185 million.

The R-rated Bryan Cranston/James Franco comedy WHY HIM? was in seventh place with $6.5 million, with Disney's MOANA right behind in eighth with $6.4 million.

Denzel Washington's drama FENCES came in ninth with $4.7 million, adding to its domestic total of $40.6 million since it opened wide Christmas Day. The Michael Fassbender videogame adaptation ASSASSIN'S CREED clutched to the bottom with $3.8 million as it managed to climb over $100 million worldwide.

Outside the chart, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA and COLLATERAL BEAUTY got bumped out of sight. The fantasy-drama A MONSTER CALLS expanded to 1500 screens but landed far outside the Top 10 with $2 million (and a per-screen average lower than FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM on its eighth weekend).

Next week delivers the PG-13 horror movie THE BYE BYE MAN, the Jamie Foxx action-thriller SLEEPLESS, and the bizarro buddy movie MONSTER TRUCKS. Expanding wide from limited release are Martin Scorsese's SILENCE, Ben Affleck's crime-drama LIVE BY NIGHT and the Mark Wahlberg/Peter Berg Boston Marathon bombing account PATRIOT'S DAY.

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