Weekend Box Office Report: Victory lap for Ford v. Ferrari!

Damon and Bale race into first!

A look at a famous vehicular rivalry enticed moviegoers this weekend as FORD V FERRARI accelerated to the top of the box office with an estimated opening of $31 million!

The PG-13 biopic, detailing car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale) preparing for the 1966 Le Mans race in France, reportedly cost almost $100 million.

Directed by James Mangold (LOGAN, 3:10 TO YUMA) and also featuring Jon Bernthal and Caitriona Balfe, the new drama also caught an extra $21.4 million from international crowds (some of whom saw the movie as LE MANS '66) for a worldwide total of $52.4 million.

Critics were certainly steered in the right direction for the potential Oscar contender, giving the movie a 92% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 81 on Metacritic. Zoom toward the JoBlo review HERE.

Descending to second place was the WWII movie MIDWAY with $8.7 million, diving by 51% from its opening last weekend. The PG-13 historical action-thriller from INDEPENDENCE DAY director Roland Emmerich has a ten-day domestic total of $35.1 million and $64 million worldwide, on a reported cost of $100 million.

Opening in third place was the new action-comedy CHARLIE'S ANGELS with $8.6 million.

This time directed and written by co-star Elizabeth Banks, the latest version of the popular 1970s TV series trailed the openings for the McG-directed adaptations, which started with $40.1 million for the 2000 CHARLIE'S ANGELS and $37.6 million for the sequel FULL THROTTLE in 2003.

The PG-13 thriller with Kristen Stewart, Ella Balinska and Naomi Scott as the trio of proficient globetrotting detectives (taking over for Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore, who exec-produced this update) reportedly cost $48 million, and generated an additional $19.3 million from overseas for a worldwide weekend of $27.9 million.

Critics weren't exactly flying with the Angels on their new investigation, giving the movie a 60% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a 51 score on Metacritic. Kick on over to the JoBlo review HERE.

The PG-rated firefighter comedy PLAYING WITH FIRE dragged its hose to fourth place with $8.5 million, extinguished by only 33% from its opening last weekend. The John Cena-fronted $30 million feature has a ten-day domestic total of $25.4 million and $27.9 million worldwide.

The Wham!-influenced holiday comedy LAST CHRISTMAS was in fifth place with $6.7 million, jingling away 41% of business from last week's opening. Director Paul Feig's $25 million romcom with Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding has a ten-day domestic total of $22.5 million and a worldwide total of $35.5 million.

In sixth place was the R-rated horror movie DOCTOR SLEEP with $6.1 million, taking a nap of 56% from its drowsy opening last weekend. Director Mike Flanagan's sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 classic THE SHINING (based on Stephen King's novel) has a ten-day domestic of $25 million and $53.8 million worldwide, on a reported cost of $45 million.

In seventh place was the new R-rated crime drama THE GOOD LIAR with an opening of $5.6 million.

Directed by Bill Condon (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, DREAMGIRLS), the cat-and-mouse thriller with Helen Mirren and Sir Ian McKellen cost a reported $10 million. It has a worldwide total of $9.5 million after releasing in the UK last week.

Critics didn't completely fall for the con, giving the movie a 64% average on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 54 on Metacritic. Get hoodwinked by the JoBlo review HERE.

The DC Comics adaptation JOKER was in eighth place with $5.6 million as the Clown Prince of Crime has reached a domestic total of $322 million after seven weekends.

Director Todd Phillips' 1980s-set villain origin is now not only the first R-rated movie to cross $1 billion worldwide, but has also beaten the $1 billion global finish of THE DARK KNIGHT, featuring Heath Ledger's lauded version of the hostile painted character.

Disney's PG-rated fantasy sequel MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL was in ninth place with $5.2 million as the $185 million Angelina Jolie fairy tale has conjured $106 million domestic and $458.8 million worldwide on its fifth weekend.

Closing out the list was the PG-13 biopic HARRIET with $4.7 million. After three weekends, the historical drama with Cynthia Erivo as freedom fighter Harriet Tubman has a domestic total of $31.8 million on a reported $17 million cost.

Outside the chart, sci-fi sequel TERMINATOR: DARK FATE disintegrated after only two weeks in the Top 10, while the animated THE ADDAMS FAMILY departed and ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP tapped out.

Bong Joon ho's comedy-drama PARASITE and Taika Waititi's wartime satire JOJO RABBIT both continued to add screens and attract eyeballs, now at respective domestic totals of $14.4 million and $13.5 million.

Next weekend brings back Disney's chilly magic in the sequel FROZEN II, Tom Hanks puts on the sweater of Mr. Rogers for A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, and Chadwick Boseman is a cop on a manhunt in the thriller 21 BRIDGES.

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