Weekend Box Office Report: November 4-6, 2016

Doctor Strange casts a big box office spell!

There was major Marvel movie magic on display this weekend, putting DOCTOR STRANGE at number one with an estimated opening of $84.9 million!

Lacking support from the Marvel Cinematic Universe heavy hitters, Benedict Cumberbatch's origin spin as the Sorcerer Supreme started out just behind the $85.7 million opening of THOR: THE DARK WORLD, but came in ahead of the first THOR ($65.7 million), CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER ($65 million) and last summer's ANT-MAN ($57.2 million).

The dazzling spellcasting from director Scott Derrikson (SINISTER) cost a reported $165 million and has a worldwide total of $325 million after procuring an additional $240 million from international audiences, who got to witness the mystical clash a week early. The reality-warping PG-13 fantasy-adventure currently has a strong 90% average from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. (Read the JoBlo review HERE!)

Opening in second place was the animated TROLLS movie with $45.6 million, which is about average for an initial DreamWorks Animation release (HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and THE CROODS started with $43 million, MADAGASCAR with $47.2 million). Based on the decades-old but still-popular line of vibrant-haired dolls, the PG-rated musical-comedy features voice work from Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick.

The $125 million family feature has also amassed $104 million from overseas, where it has been rolling out since mid-October. Critics found the tuneful toys to be non-toxic, giving it a 74% Rotten Tomatoes average. (Check out the JoBlo review HERE.)

In third place was the new R-rated WWII melodrama HACKSAW RIDGE with a $14.7 million opening. Directed by Mel Gibson, the fact-based story of pacifist medic Desmond Doss (played by Andrew Garfield) cost a reported $40 million. Critics saluted his service with 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. (The JoBlo review is HERE.)

After sitting in first place for two weekends, BOO! A MADEA HALLOWEEN slipped to fourth with $7.8 million. The $20 million comedy is now the third highest-grossing release in filmmaker Tyler Perry's Madea series, just behind the $65.6 million total of MADEA'S WITNESS PROTECTION.

Moviegoers must have satisfied their Tom Hanks hankering with SULLY, because his latest movie INFERNO dropped to fifth with $6.2 million — losing 58% from last weekend's flimsy opening of the Dan Brown adaptation.

Although director Ron Howard's third Robert Langdon thriller (which cost a reported $75 million) has collected $159 million from international crowds, it has a ten-day domestic total of $26 million.

In sixth place was Ben Affleck's bookkeeper/exterminator THE ACCOUNTANT with $5.9 million, and fellow action actor Tom Cruise in JACK REACHER: NEVER GO BACK was pushed back to seventh with $5.5 million. Both have now reached past $100 million worldwide.

The horror movie OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL moved to eighth with $3.9 million on its third weekend in theaters, while the Emily Blunt thriller THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN was in ninth with $2.7 million. Tim Burton's fantasy adaptation MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN closed out the list with $2.1 million.

Outside the chart, STORKS took off with KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES and AE DIL HAI MUSHKIL. In limited release, the interracial marriage drama LOVING started with a solid $42k per-screen average, and the acclaimed drama MOONLIGHT expanded to 83 screens for $1.3 million.

Next weekend has Amy Adams communicating with aliens in ARRIVAL, the holidays start early in the comedy ALMOST CHRISTMAS, and Naomi Watts prefers isolation in the thriller SHUT IN, while limited releases include Ang Lee's war drama BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK and Paul Verhoeven's thriller ELLE.

What is your favorite World War II movie? VOTE HERE!