Weekend Box Office Report: November 17-19, 2017

Justice League gathers in first place!

The heavy hitters of DC Comics got together this weekend and put JUSTICE LEAGUE at the top of the box office with an estimated opening of $96 million!

The combined strength of some A-list superheroes (and Cyborg) wasn't enough to overcome the opening of any previous release in the DC Extended Universe — this summer's winner WONDER WOMAN started with $103 million, MAN OF STEEL opened to $116 million, SUICIDE SQUAD had a surprise $133 million start, and BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE punched its way to a $166 million opening weekend.

As for the inevitable comparison with their comic book rivals, JUSTICE LEAGUE opened with less than half of the $207 million start of Marvel's similar hero assembly THE AVENGERS in 2012. It also opened lower than Marvel's three releases of 2017 (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 – $146 million; SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING – $117 million; THOR: RAGNAROK – $122 million), and even came up short of the $98 million opening of the original IRON MAN back in 2008.

The rocky production, started by filmmaker Zack Snyder and completed by THE AVENGERS director Joss Whedon, may have cost $300 million or more by the time significant rewrites, reshoots and mustache removal were finished.

While countless articles will surely speculate on JUSTICE LEAGUE's performance and its impact, it will mostly be interesting to see how Warner Bros. (owner of DC Comics) handles the future slate of planned movies, many of which seemed to be dependent on the success of this all-star blockbuster.

The PG-13 collection of super friends also made an additional $185 million from around the globe for a worldwide opening of $281 million. Most critics weren't completely thrilled by the costumed exploits, giving it an average of 40% on Rotten Tomatoes (the JoBlo reviews are HERE and HERE).

Opening in second place was the new PG-rated drama WONDER with $27 million.

Adapted from R.J. Palacio's popular book about a child with Treacher Collins syndrome, the Julia Roberts/Owen Wilson film cost a reported $20 million.

Critics had their hearts warmed by the story, giving it an average of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. You can read the JoBlo review HERE.

After sitting on top for two weekends, THOR: RAGNAROK moved to third place with $21.7 million, bringing it to a domestic total of $247.3 million.

The cosmic adventure of Marvel's Thunder God has a worldwide total of $738 million, passing the finishes of DOCTOR STRANGE ($677 million) and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER ($714 million).

The PG-13 holiday comedy DADDY'S HOME 2 was in fourth with $14.8 million, losing 50% of business from its opening last weekend.

The Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg sequel has a ten-day domestic total of $50.5 million (on a reported $69 million cost).

In fifth place was the Agatha Christie adaptation MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS with $13.8 million. The PG-13 mystery slowed by 52% from last week's opening for a ten-day domestic total of $51.7 million.

The homicide train filled with familiar faces has also picked up $96 million from international audiences for a worldwide total of $148.2 million (on a reported cost of $55 million).

In sixth place was the new animated feature THE STAR with an opening of $10 million.

The Christmas nativity story with talking animals, featuring voices of Zachary Levi, Steven Yeun and Keegan-Michael Key, cost a reported $20 million.

R-rated comedy A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS was in seventh place with $6.8 million for a domestic total of $50.9 million on its third weekend in theaters.

In eighth place was filmmaker Greta Gerwig's acclaimed LADY BIRD with $2.5 million after adding another 200 screens, bringing the R-rated comedy-drama to $4.7 million.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI was in ninth place with $1.1 million.

The R-rated dark comedy from IN BRUGES director Martin McDonagh is on just 53 screens after its solid limited release debut last week, and has a domestic total of $1.5 million.

The horror movie JIGSAW closed out the list with $1 million, bringing the $10 million sequel to $36.4 million domestic and $88.8 million worldwide.

Outside the chart, HAPPY DEATH DAY departed with BLADE RUNNER 2049, GEOSTORM and TYLER PERRY'S BOO 2! A MADEA HALLOWEEN. In limited release, the Denzel Washington legal drama ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ. started out with an unremarkable $16k per-screen average.

Next week has Wednesday releases for Thanksgiving weekend, including THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS, Pixar's COCO and the expansion of ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ.

What is your favorite live-action adaptation of DC Comics material? VOTE HERE!