“Big Hero 6” Rockets to Stellar $56.2 Million Debut
Score another win for Disney. The studio’s latest animated film, Big Hero 6 shot to the top spot this weekend with an estimated $56.2 million. This debut positions Big Hero 6 in between Disney’s last two films, Frozen and Wreck-It Ralph.
Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi drama, Interstellar claimed second place with $50 million. The near 3-hour film debuted on Wednesday exclusively in IMAX before expanding Friday. After 5 days, Interstellar has grossed $52.2 million. This is Nolan’s first film to miss the top spot in over a decade.
Gone Girl bumped up one spot to third with $6.1 million, while two-week champion Ouija fell to fourth. The horror flick pulled in $6.0 million in its third weekend. Bill Murray comedy St. Vincent cracked the top 5 this weekend to round out the charts with $5.7 million.
Note: These #’s are based on Sunday’s projections and can change with Monday’s actual #’s.
#1 – Big Hero 6 (NR)
$56.2 million / $56.2 million total
After Frozen’s stellar $400 million run last year, Disney’s Big Hero 6 had big shoes to fill. Opening at an estimated $56.2 million, Hiro and Baymax are off to the races for another lucrative run for Disney. Expect Big Hero 6 to play more like Wreck-It Ralph, which debuted close to this time two years ago than Frozen. Big Hero 6 needs to maintain momentum over the holiday weekend before Dreamworks’ Penguins of Madagascar hits theaters at the end of the month. $200 million is certainly possible at this point.
#2 – Interstellar (NR)
$50.0 million / $52.2 million total
In a tight race between two tentpoles, Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar ended up in second with $50.0 million. This is the first time a Nolan film hasn’t opened in the top spot since Insomnia in 2002. Opening against Big Hero 6 was always a catch-22 for the Nolan film. The question is what’s more important to Paramount – a number one spot or two solid weeks in IMAX. Mixed reviews didn’t help Interstellar eclipse Nolan’s Inception ($62 million) or acclaimed sci-fi film Gravity ($55 million).
#3 – Gone Girl (4)
$6.1 million / $145.4 million total
In its sixth week in theaters, David Fincher’s Gone Girl continues to remain relevant at the box office. The Ben Affleck film is nearing $150 million, a first for Fincher. Expect that milestone to be broken by the end of next weekend. Gone Girl should still be able to clear north of even $160 million at this point.
#4 – Ouija (1)
$6.0 million / $43.5 million total
With Halloween in the rear-view mirror, horror flick Ouija dropped three spots to fourth. The heavily panned film continues to drop below 50%. That’s a bit of a shock considering the genre’s consistent box office trend of larger drops. Ouija still aims for a $50 million finish.
#5 –St. Vincent (7)
$5.7 million / $27.4 million total
Bill Murray’s acclaimed comedy, St. Vincent managed to crack the top charts in its fifth weekend. Early Oscar buzz and praise for Murray has helped St. Vincent close in on $30 million. Dropping 21% percent from last weekend, St. Vincent is also the best holdover in the top 10.
Opening Next Week: Beyond the Lights, Dumb and Dumber To, Foxcatcher (limited), The Homesman (limited), Rosewater (limited), Saving Christmas (limited)
Source: Box Office Mojo
