By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Marvel's R-rated antihero smash "Deadpool" continued to dominate movie theaters over the weekend, earning an estimated $55 million and trouncing a trio of newcomers.
After pulling in a massive $152.2 million in its President's Day weekend four-day debut, the comic book adaptation from 20th Century Fox starring Ryan Reynolds as a foul-mouthed mercenary again topped the North American box office. Having already grossed $235.4 million domestically, "Deadpool" – made for just $58 million – is poised to become one of the most successful R-rated movies ever.
Globally, the film – now certain to spawn a franchise of its own – has made $491.1 million thus far.
Among new releases, the faith-based drama "Risen" debuted with $11.8 million. The film, in which Joseph Fiennes plays a Roman soldier investigating the death and resurrection of Jesus, was made for about $20 million by Sony's Affirm label, which targets evangelical Christian moviegoers.
A24's critically acclaimed Puritan thriller "The Witch" opened with $8.7 million, marking the biggest opening of the indie label behind the Oscar-nominated drama "Room." A24 celebrated Robert Eggers' directorial debut – an austere 1600s horror film, rigorously authentic to the period – as not only the company's biggest weekend in its three-year history, but one that put "The Witch" on course to be "the most successful film of all time with a goat in a starring role."
It may have been too art house for some horror fans, though, as "The Witch" received a poor C-minus CinemaScore from audiences.
The Jesse Owens biopic from Focus Features, "Race," struggled to find its footing with $7.3 million. Directed by Stephen Hopkins, "Race" stars Stephan James as the Olympic sprinter.
Edging out the three debuts was Fox's "Kung Fu Panda 3," which made $12.5 million in its fourth weekend. The animated sequel, which has made $117.1 million in total, will lose its near-exclusive window of family moviegoing next weekend when Disney's "Zootopia" opens. That film has already begun its overseas rollout, where it made $31.2 million from 22 territories over the weekend.
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. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Deadpool," $55 million ($85 million international.)
2. "Kung Fu Panda 3," $12.5 million ($7.2 million international).
3. "Risen," $11.8 million.
4. "The Witch," $8.7 million.
5. "How To Be Single," $8.2 million ($10.9 million international).
6. "Race," $7.3 million.
7. "Zoolander 2," $5.5 million ($4.8 million international).
8. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," $3.8 million ($2.6 million international).
9. "The Revenant," $3.8 million ($8.6 million international).
10. "Hail, Caesar!" $2.6 million ($5.8 million international).
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. "Deadpool," $85 million.
2. "The Mermaid," $56 million.
3. "Zootopia," $31.2 million.
4. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny," $21 million.
5. "The Monkey King 2," $13 million.
6. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip," $11.7 million.
7. "How to Be Single," $10.9 million.
8. "From Vegas to Macau III," $9.5 million.
9. "The Revenant," $8.6 million.
10. "Kung Fu Panda 3," $7.2 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