By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Disney's "The Jungle Book" trounced a handful of underperforming new releases to rule the box office for a third consecutive week, while next week's certain champ, "Captain America: Civil War," began setting records overseas.
Jon Favreau's live-action Rudyard Kipling adaptation earned $42.4 million in its third week at North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. One of the year's biggest hits, "The Jungle Book" has now totaled $684.8 million globally.
The weekend's debuts withered under the stampede of "The Jungle Book."
Keegen-Michael Key and Jordan Peele's feline action-comedy "Keanu" opened with a modest $9.4 million. That was a whisker behind "The Huntsman: Winter's War," which limped its way to $9.4 million in its second disappointing week of release.
Warner Bros.' R-rated "Keanu," from the former Comedy Central stars of "Key and Peele," cost only about $15 million to make. In it, they play Los Angeles cousins who are led into a criminal underworld in their search for a lost cat.
Garry Marshall's latest holiday-themed romantic comedy, "Mother's Day," bowed with a weak $8.3 million despite the presence of stars Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts. Though Marshall's "Valentine's Day" opened with $56.2 million in 2010, audiences have since been less enthusiastic for his poorly reviewed Hallmark card ensembles. "Mother's Day," released by Open Road, even trails the $13 million opening of 2011's "New Year's Eve."
The video-game adaption "Ratchet & Clank," from Focus Features, made even less of a dent with an estimated $4.8 million.
With "Captain America: Civil War" opening next weekend in North America, the box office was largely in a holding pattern, waiting for Marvel to effectively launch the summer movie season. "Civil War" gave a preview of its might in 37 international territories over the weekend, taking in an estimated $200.2 million. That includes record openings in Mexico, Brazil and the Philippines for the film some expect to be the year's biggest hit.
Once it lands, Disney will have accounted for three of the top five movies of the year, along with "The Jungle Book" and "Zootopia."
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. "The Jungle Book," $42.4 million ($57.1 million international).
2. "The Huntsman: Winter's War," $9.4 million.
3. "Keanu," $9.4 million.
4. "Mother's Day," $8.3 million ($2.1 million international).
5. "Barber Shop: The Next Cut," $6.1 million.
6. "Zootopia," $5 million ($8.3 million international).
7. "Ratchet & Clank," $4.8 million.
8. "The Boss," $4.2 million.
9. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," $3.8 million ($2.8 million international).
10. "Criminal," $1.3 million.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:
1. "Captain America: Civil War," $200.2 million.
2. "The Jungle Book," $57.1 million.
3. "Finding Mr. Right," $51 million.
4. "Zootopia," $8.3 million.
5. "MBA Partners," $7.5 million.
6. "The Huntsman: Winter's War," $7.4 million.
7. "Phantom of the Theater," $7 million.
8. "Kung Fu Panda 3," $3.1 million.
9. "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," $2.8 million.
10. "Xuan Zang," $2.4 million.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More