Weekend Box Office Report: March 8-10, 2019

Captain Marvel blasts the box office!

Marvel's noble warrior hero CAPTAIN MARVEL zoomed into theaters this weekend and blew up the box office with an estimated opening of $153 million!

Brie Larson's pilot-turned-space soldier had the second-best opening for all solo superhero introductions (both Marvel and DC), behind the $202 million start of last year's BLACK PANTHER.

The powerful Starforce member's journey of self-discovery ranked seventh in openings for the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind BLACK PANTHER, IRON MAN 3, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR and the three AVENGERS movies (which also makes CAPTAIN MARVEL the second-biggest MCU opening without a Robert Downey Jr. appearance).

The 1990s-set alien invasion from directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck also had the third-biggest March opening, after the $174 million start of Disney's live-action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST last year and the $166 million opening of DC Comics clash BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE in 2016.

The new PG-13 sci-fi adventure with a shapeshifting Ben Mendelsohn and a digitally de-aged Samuel L. Jackson also scored $302 million from international audiences for a $455 million worldwide weekend, making it the sixth-highest global premiere ever (and behind only AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR's worldwide opening in the MCU).

Also featuring Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Annette Bening, Jude Law and a cat named Goose, the galactic conflict (and precursor to this summer's AVENGERS: ENDGAME) came with a reported cost of $152 million.

Marvel's first female-fronted feature received a fairly solid response from critics, who gave it a 79% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Fly on over to the JoBlo reviews HERE and HERE.

After leading the list for two weeks, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD swooped to second place with $14.6 million. The PG-rated animated sequel has a domestic total of $119.6 million and a worldwide total of $435.2 million, on a reported $129 million cost.

In third place was the PG-13 comedy TYLER PERRY'S A MADEA FAMILY FUNERAL with $12 million, losing 55% of business from its opening last weekend. The $20 million sequel (Perry's eleventh and supposedly final Madea movie) has a ten-day domestic total of $45.8 million.

The sequel THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART was again in fourth place with $3.8 million as it continues stacking toward $100 milliion domestic. The PG-rated animated space adventure currently has a $164.4 million worldwide total (still far from halfway to the $469 million global finish of the first LEGO movie) on a reported $99 million cost.

Director Robert Rodriguez's sci-fi/action epic ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL was in fifth place with $3.2 million. The PG-13 anime/manga adapation (produced and co-written by James Cameron) has a domestic total of $78.3 milliion and $382.6 million worldwide on a reported cost of $170 million.

Oscar winner GREEN BOOK coasted in sixth place with $2.4 million, carrying the PG-13 Viggo Mortensen/Mahershala Ali drama to $80.1 million domestic and $242 million worldwide (on a $23 million reported cost).

In seventh was the PG-13 Rebel Wilson/Liam Hemsworth romcom ISN'T IT ROMANTIC with $2.4 million. The $31 million satirical comedy has a domestic total of $44.1 million on its fourth weekend.

FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY followed in eighth place with $2.1 million, taking the fact-based wrestling comedy-drama to a domestic total of $18.6 million on a reported $11 million cost.

The R-rated psychological thriller GRETA was in ninth place with $2.1 million, down by 52% from its opening last week. The Chloe Moretz/Isabelle Huppert drama from director Neil Jordan has a ten-day domestic total of $8.2 million.

Rocketing onto the list in tenth was the moon landing documentary APOLLO 11 with $1.3 million as it expanded to 400 locations, bringing it to $3.7 million domestic after its limited launch last week.

Outside the chart, the Taraji P. Henson comedy WHAT MEN WANT was displaced along with horror sequel HAPPY DEATH DAY 2 U.

In limited release, the Ethan Hawke/Chris Pratt/Dane DeHaan Western THE KID (directed by Vincent D'Onofrio) was gunned down with just $505k on 268 screens. Critics outlawed the latest Billy the Kid tale with a 38% average on Rotten Tomatoes (the JoBlo review is HERE).

The R-rated Julianne Moore drama GLORIA BELL had a better time in limited release, starting out with a per-screen average of $30k (it's also a critical darling with 98% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Next weekend offers the sci-fi thriller CAPTIVE STATE, the romantic drama FIVE FEET APART and the animated WONDER PARK.

Who (or what) is your favorite alien in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? VOTE HERE!