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LOS ANGELES—“Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” stole all the box-office cheer this weekend, collecting a robust $66 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to preliminary estimates, while other new releases landed like lumps of coal.
The animated retelling of the children’s classic is the latest in a string of hit releases making debuts in the past couple months. Along with the performances of “Venom,” “A Star Is Born” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Grinch” is contributing to what is expected to be a record year in receipts for Hollywood.
That doesn’t mean it was good news all around. The zombie thriller “Overlord” made its debut with a weak $10.1 million, according to an estimate from its distributor,
Viacom
Inc.’s
Paramount Pictures.
“The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” the latest installment in Stieg Larsson’s crime-thriller franchise, collected a dismal $8 million. The opening likely kills any hope
Sony
Corp.’s
Sony Pictures Entertainment had of reviving the “Girl” franchise, which this time around features “The Crown” star Claire Foy in the title role.
“The Grinch,” released by
Comcast Corp.
’s
Universal Pictures, was produced by Illumination, the animation studio responsible for megahits like the “Despicable Me” and “Secret Life of Pets” franchises. It cost about $75 million to produce, less than most major animated releases.
“It’s the kind of movie that families want to see now,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. Continued interest in the movie as the holidays ramp up should allow it to play in theaters through the end of the year, he added.
No other compelling competition from adult-oriented titles helped “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the Queen biopic that made its debut in first place last week, to fall only 40% in its second weekend to $30.9 million. It has collected a hit $100 million so far.
In other box-office news, Sony’s “Venom” opened in Chinese cinemas to an impressive $111 million, about $31 million more than its domestic debut. The superhero movie has collected a $673.5 million world-wide. The debut is Sony’s best-ever in China, which is now the world’s second-largest box-office market.
Of all the new releases, audiences liked “The Grinch” best, giving it an “A-” grade, according to the CinemaScore market research firm. “Overlord” and “The Girl in the Spider’s Web” each received a “B.”
Write to Erich Schwartzel at [email protected]
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