Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Tops the Box Office in Opening Weekend

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil reigns supreme at this weekend’s box office. The film will open with $37 million, just shy of the film’s $40 million projections. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is the sequel to 2014’s Maleficent. The film is directed by Joachim Rønning and written by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. The film’s cast includes returning stars Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville with new additions Harris Dickinson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, and Michelle Pfeiffer. In the new film, a formidable queen (Pfeiffer) causes a rift between Maleficent (Jolie) and Princess Aurora (Fanning). Together, they must face new allies and enemies in a bid to protect the magical lands which they share.

Joker movies into second place with $28 million. It’s total will climb to $248 million at the domestic box office. Joker is directed by Todd Phillips. He co-wrote the film’s screenplay with Scott Silver. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, with Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Marc Maron. The film stars Phoenix as failed comedian Arthur Fleck as he begins a slow descent into madness, transforming into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.

Zombieland: Double Tap opens in third place. The film is directed by Ruben Fleischer and written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and David Callaham. The sequel to 2009’s Zombieland stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone as their characters from the first film, with new additions Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, and Luke Wilson. The film sees zombie slayers Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock square off against the newly evolved undead.

What are you seeing at the box office this weekend? Let us know in the comments and keep reading to see this weekend’s top 10.

1. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Opening Weekend
Friday: $12.5 million
Weekend: $37.7 million

A formidable queen causes a rift between Maleficent and Princess Aurora. Together, they must face new allies and enemies in a bid to protect the magical lands which they share.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is the sequel to 2014’s Maleficent. The film is directed by Joachim Rønning and written by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster. The film’s cast includes returning stars Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville with new additions Harris Dickinson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

2. Joker

Week Three
Friday: $8.61 million
Weekend: $28.3 million
Total: $248.1 million

Forever alone in a crowd, failed comedian Arthur Fleck seeks connection as he walks the streets of Gotham City. Arthur wears two masks — the one he paints for his day job as a clown, and the guise he projects in a futile attempt to feel like he’s part of the world around him. Isolated, bullied and disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow descent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as the Joker.

Joker is directed by Todd Phillips. He co-wrote the film’s screenplay with Scott Silver. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck, with Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Marc Maron.

3. Zombieland: Double Tap

Opening Weekend
Friday: $10.55 million
Weekend: $26.5 million

Zombie slayers Tallahassee, Columbus, Wichita and Little Rock square off against the newly evolved undead.

Zombieland: Double Tap is directed by Ruben Fleischer and written by Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and David Callaham. The sequel to 2009’s Zombieland stars Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin, and Emma Stone as their characters from the first film, with new additions Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, and Luke Wilson.

4. The Addams Family

Week Two
Friday: $4.1 million
Weekend: $18 million
Total: $44.9 million

Members of the mysterious and spooky Addams family — Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, Wednesday, Uncle Fester and Grandma — are readily preparing for a visit from their even creepier relatives. But trouble soon arises when shady TV personality Margaux Needler realizes that the Addams’ eerie hilltop mansion is standing in the way of her dream to sell all the houses in the neighborhood.

The Addams Family is based on the comics by Charles Addams. The film is directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, and stars Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Snoop Dogg, Bette Midler, and Allison Janney.

5. Gemini Man

Week Two
Friday: $2.3 million
Weekend: $10.5 million
Total: $30.3 million

Henry Brogan is an elite assassin who becomes the target of a mysterious operative who can seemingly predict his every move. To his horror, he soon learns that the man who’s trying to kill him is a younger, faster, cloned version of himself.

Gemini Man is directed by Ang Lee, written by David Benioff, Billy Ray, and Darren Lemke, and stars Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen, and Benedict Wong.

6. Abominable

Week Four
Friday: $870,000
Weekend: $3.3 million
Total: $51.3 million

After discovering a Yeti on the roof of her apartment building, teenage Yi and her two friends embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family. But to do so, they must stay one step ahead of a wealthy financier and a determined zoologist who want to capture the beast for their own gain.

Abominable is written and directed by Jill Culton and co-directed by Todd Wilderman. The film features the voices of Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson, Tsai Chin and Michelle Wong.

7. Downton Abbey

Week Five
Friday: $870,000
Weekend: $2.8 million
Total: $86.4 million

Excitement is high at Downton Abbey when the Crawley family learns that King George V and Queen Mary are coming to visit. But trouble soon arises when Mrs. Patmore, Daisy and the rest of the servants learn that the king and queen travel with their own chefs and attendants — setting the stage for an impromptu scheme and other shenanigans.

A continuation of the television series of the same name, Downton Abbey is directed by Michael Engler from a screenplay written by series creator Julian Fellowes. The film stars Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, and Penelope Wilton.

8. Hustlers

Week Six
Friday: $610,000
Weekend: $2.2 million
Total: $100.4 million

Working as a stripper to make ends meet, Destiny’s life changes forever when she becomes friends with Ramona — the club’s top money earner. Ramona soon shows Destiny how to finagle her way around the wealthy Wall street clientele who frequent the club. But when the 2008 economic collapse cuts into their profits, the gals and two other dancers devise a daring scheme to take their lives back.

Hustlers is written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, based on the 2015 New York magazine article “The Hustlers at Scores” by Jessica Pressler. The film stars Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Lizzo, and Cardi B. 

9. Judy

Week Two
Friday: $570,000
Weekend: $1.9 million
Total: $17.5 million

Thirty years after starring in The Wizard of Oz, beloved actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub. While there, she reminisces with friends and fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.

Judy is directed by Rupert Goold, based on the play End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter. The film stars Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell, and Michael Gambon.

10. It Chapter Two

Week Seven
Friday: $400,000
Weekend: $1.8 million
Total: $208.6 million

Defeated by members of the Losers’ Club, the evil clown Pennywise returns 27 years later to terrorize the town of Derry, Maine, once again. Now adults, the childhood friends have long since gone their separate ways. But when people start disappearing, Mike Hanlon calls the others home for one final stand. Damaged by scars from the past, the united Losers must conquer their deepest fears to destroy the shape-shifting Pennywise — now more powerful than ever.

It Chapter Two is directed by Andy Muschietti, written by Gary Dauberman, and stars Bill Skarsgård, Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, Jaeden Martell, Sophia Lillis, Finn Wolfhard, Chosen Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Wyatt Oleff.