With its theatrical window deal signed by AMC and Cinemark, Universal and Focus Features have continued to lead the struggling pandemic box office, as “The Croods: A New Age” earned its third straight No. 1 weekend and the studio’s seventh straight weekend atop the charts with $3 million from 2,115 screens.
Overseas, the film added $6.6 million in China and $8.4 across all overseas markets, including openings in Mexico and Ecuador. Globally, “Croods 2” now has a box office total of $76 million as Universal prepares to release the film as a premium video on-demand title in the coming week as part of its theatrical window deal. That deal, which allows Universal and Focus films to hit PVOD after three weekends in theaters, will also be used on the studios’ two remaining 2020 films: Paul Greengrass’ “News of the World” and Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman.”|
As was the case last weekend, “Croods 2” was the only film to gross more than $1 million this weekend. The second spot went to Focus’ “Half Brothers” with $490,000 in its second weekend to bring its total to $1.3 million. In third was a re-release of the Will Ferrell Christmas comedy “Elf” with $400,000 from 850 screens. Universal/Blumhouse’s “Freaky” is fourth with $315,000 and a total of $8.2 million, and 101 Studios’ “The War With Grandpa” is approaching an $18 million total after more than two months in theaters with $260,000 this weekend.
Leading new limited releases this weekend was John Patrick Shanley’s “Wild Mountain Thyme” with $100,466 from 450 theaters.
It was a rough week for theaters outside the box office, as hopes for a Congressional pandemic stimulus package were shut down yet again by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, while directors like Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve were at the forefront of a backlash against Warner Bros. decision to release all of its 2021 films in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously.
Meanwhile, Disney announced at its investor day conference that remakes of “Pinocchio” and “Peter Pan” that were initially intended for theaters would move to Disney+, while “Raya and the Last Dragon” would get a day-and-date release in theaters and PVOD in March. The studio held back on announcing moves for other theatrical releases like “Black Widow” but did announce new theatrical titles like Pixar’s “Luca” for 2021.