By Andrew Dalton, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --"Star Wars" was still rising in the last weekend of the year, while "Little Women" broke big at the box office.
"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" brought in $72 million over the weekend to remain the top-earning film in North America by light-years, according to studio estimates Sunday.
In 10 days of release it has brought in $362.8 million for Disney, falling just short of the earnings of its predecessor, 2017's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" in a comparable span.
Helped by the Christmas holiday week, "Star Wars" had a smaller-than-average 59% drop-off in its second weekend after earning $175 million in its first.
"For a movie that opened that big, that is a modest drop," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore. "Movies that open this time of year, they usually have legs."
Sony's "Jumanji: The Next Level," earned $35.3 million for second place and has tallied a total of $175.5 million through its third weekend of release.
Director Greta Gerwig's re-imagining of the American literary classic "Little Women" had a $16.5-million weekend and a five-day total of $29 million since its Christmas opening, a major performance for a smaller-audience film with a budget dwarfed by the top two films.
The film, also a Sony release, starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh and Laura Dern, scored big with both audiences and critics and is gaining momentum as an awards-season favorite.
"With Greta Gerwig's reputation as a filmmaker, a great cast and a perfect holiday release date, they've got quite a hit on the their hands," Dergarabedian said.
"Uncut Gems," an even smaller film that has also sparked awards-season buzz for Adam Sandler's rare dramatic performance as a jeweler and gambling addict, entered the top 10 for the first time as it expanded to more screens in its first week. The film earned $9.6 million over the weekend and has brought in $20 million overall.
Director Sam Mendes' experimental World War I epic "1917," earned more than $1 million since its Christmas opening despite showing in only 11 theaters. The huge per-screen average bodes well for the film's nationwide opening next month as it ramps up its Oscars campaign.
As 2019 ends, annual overall box office revenue is down by 4%, though it gained ground in its latter months, narrowing a deficit that was 11% in April, and 2018 was always going to be tough to beat.
"Last year was an outlier," Dergarabedian said. "It was just a massive year."
Between Marvel and "Star Wars," and its animation divisions, 2019 was utterly owned by Disney, which had all five of the year's top grossing movies: "Avengers: Endgame," "The Lion King," "Toy Story 4," "Captain Marvel" and "Frozen 2."
And with "The Rise of Skywalker" ending the year at No. 7 and "Aladdin" at No. 8, the mega-mouse ate up seven of the top 10 spots.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.
1. "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," $72 million.
2. "Jumanji: The Next Level," $35.3 million.
3. "Little Women," $16.5 million.
4. "Frozen 2," $16.5 million.
5. "Spies in Disguise," $13.2 million.
6. "Knives Out," $9.7 million.
7. "Uncut Gems," $9.6 million.
8. "Cats," $4.83 million.
9. "Bombshell," $4.7 million.
10. "Richard Jewell," $3 million.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More