Weekend Box Office Report: November 2-4, 2018

Bohemian Rhapsody rocks the box office!

The story of beloved band Queen hit the screen this weekend and put BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY in first place with an estimated opening of $50 million!

The glimpse into the lives of the anthem rockers had the second-best opening ever for a music biopic, behind the $60.2 million start of N.W.A. movie STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON in August of 2015.

Propelled by a praised performance from star Rami Malek as charismatic singer Freddie Mercury, the PG-13 drama also had fists pumping in the international arena with an extra $91.7 million overseas for a worldwide total of $141.7 million.

Directed by Bryan Singer (and competed by Dexter Fletcher after Singer's dismissal), the historical look at the British group and its gifted frontman cost a reported $52 million.

Critics bobbed their heads to the catalog of classic tunes but weren't completely sold on the depiction as a whole, giving the movie a 60% average on Rotten Tomatoes. The JoBlo reviews are HERE and HERE.

Opening in second place was Disney's THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS with $20 million.

The new fairy tale couldn't made a dent compared to last year's live-action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, which started with $174 million domestic and went on to $504 million domestic and $1.2 billion worldwide last year.

The early attempt to begin the holiday movie season (after A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS tried on this same weekend last year) also didn't come close to openings for the Mouse's own live-action MALIFICENT ($69 million) or CINDERELLA ($67 million) in 2014 and 2015 respectively.

The PG-rated Christmastime fantasy, directed by Lasse Hallstrom (THE CIDER HOUSE RULES) and finished by Joe Johnston (JUMANJI, CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER), cost a reported $130 million.

The lavish costume drama (featuring Mackenzie Foy, Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren) marched to an additional $38.5 million from overseas audiences for a $58.5 million worldwide weekend.

Critics clearly weren't feeling the cheer for Disney's extravagant twist on the classic yuletide story, giving it a 34% average on Rotten Tomatoes (the JoBlo review is HERE).

In third place was the new R-rated comedy NOBODY'S FOOL with an opening of $14 million.

Led by Tiffany Haddish (whose NIGHT SCHOOL just slipped out of the Top 10), the family squabble from writer-director Tyler Perry cost a reported $19 million.

For the filmmaker's non-Madea work, Perry's latest got off to a slower start than the $17.1 million opening of his ACRIMONY earlier this year, settling between 2014's THE SINGLE MOMS CLUB ($8 million) and 2012's GOOD DEEDS ($15.5 million).

Critics didn't think Perry's effort was a particularly good use of Haddish and the cast (including Whoopi Goldberg and Tika Sumpter), giving the movie a 25% average on Rotten Tomatoes.

Finally getting nudged from its second-place perch was the musical romance A STAR IS BORN, in fourth this weekend with $11.1 million. The $36 million drama with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga has a domestic total of $165.6 million, and is pulling close to $300 million worldwide after singing for five weeks.

HALLOWEEN was slashed to fifth place after gripping the top spot for two weeks, taking $11 million this weekend. Director David Gordon Green's R-rated follow-up to John Carpenter's 1978 original has carved its way to $150.4 million domestic and $229 million worldwide, on a reported cost of $10 million.

Tom Hardy continued dispensing justice with teeth and tendrils in sixth place with another $7.8 million for VENOM over its fifth weekend in theaters. The $100 million Marvel comics adaptation from director Ruben Fleischer (ZOMBIELAND) is quickly approaching the $202 domestic finish of THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, and  has reached a worldwide total of $541 million.

Animated Yeti comedy SMALLFOOT lurched up a slot to seventh with $3.8 million, bringing the PG-rated $80 million feature to a domestic total of $77.4 million and $192.6 million worldwide.

The PG-rated sequel GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN was in eighth place with $3.7 million. On its fourth weekend, the family horror-comedy has a domestic total of $43.8 million and a worldwide total of $82.4 million, on a reported cost of $35 million.

The Gerard Butler / Gary Oldman submarine thriller HUNTER KILLER sank to ninth place with $3.5 million, blowing ballast by 47% for a ten-day domestic total of $12.9 million (the R-rated maritime drama cost a reported $40 million). 

Closing out the list was acclaimed teen drama THE HATE U GIVE with $3.4 million, giving it a domestic total of $23.4 million on a reported $23 million cost.

Outside the chart, Ryan Gosling's Neil Armstrong biopic FIRST MAN drifted into space along with NIGHT SCHOOL and Jonah Hill's directing debut MID90s.

In limited release, the conversion-therapy drama BOY ERASED started with a solid $44k per-screen average. The fact-based story from actor-director Joel Edgerton (also starring Lucas Hedges, Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman) got high marks from critics with an 85% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Tthe JoBlo review can be found HERE.

Meanwhile, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME director Luca Guadagnino's remake of Dario Argento's horror classic SUSPIRIA expanded to 311 locations for close to $1 million for the weekend.

Next weekend gives us yet more background on Dr. Seuss' Christmas grump THE GRINCH, "The Crown" star Claire Foy takes over as Lisbeth Salander in THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB, and soldiers fight Nazi nightmares in the JJ Abrams-produced action-horror movie OVERLORD, while Hugh Jackman dives into politics with the drama THE FRONT RUNNER in limited release (on Wednesday).

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