‘Ford v Ferrari’ Speeds to No. 1 While ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Crashes at Box Office

Fox’s Le Mans biopic on pace for $30 million opening

Christian Bale Ford V Ferrari
20th Century Fox

Fox/Disney’s “Ford v Ferrari” is the lone bright spot in an otherwise poor weekend at the domestic  box office. After grossing $10.9 million on Friday from 3,528 screens, James Mangold’s racing biopic is currently projected for a $29 million opening.

While the Chernin-produced film has a reported $97 million budget, its subject matter has global appeal and audience reception has been extremely strong, giving it a chance to leg out as an alternative to “Frozen II” in the coming weeks. Along with its 91% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an A+ on CinemaScore and a 4.5/5 rating from Postrak audience polls.

But below “Ford v Ferrari,” the November doldrums have continued as Sony’s “Charlie’s Angels” joins “Terminator: Dark Fate” and “Doctor Sleep” as the third straight box office flop to hit theaters. Made on a reported $48 million budget, Elizabeth Banks’ revival of the all-women action series is only projected to gross $8.6 million from 3,452 screens. While audiences gave the film a B+ on CinemaScore, reviews are mixed with a 59% Rotten Tomatoes score.

“Charlie’s Angels” may lose the No. 2 spot to Lionsgate’s “Midway,” which is currently projected for an $8.5 million second weekend and a 10-day total of just under $35 million. In fourth is Paramount’s “Playing With Fire,” with $7.6 million in its second weekend and a $24.6 million estimated $10 day total. Universal’s “Last Christmas” completes the top 5 with $6.6 million and an estimated $22.4 million 10-day total.

In the No. 8 spot is Warner Bros./New Line’s “The Good Liar,” which is meeting the lower end of box office projections with an estimated $1.6 million grossed on Friday and a $5 million opening from 2,439 screens. Reception was somewhat positive with a B on CinemaScore and a 62% RT score.

Finally, Warner Bros./Village Roadshow’s “Joker” has officially become the first R-rated movie to gross $1 billion worldwide, crossing the mark on its seventh Friday in theaters. The film is estimated to gross $5.2 million this weekend for a North American total of $322 million, $13 million shy of the domestic total of “Aquaman.”

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