‘Aquaman’ to Win Third Consecutive Weekend at the Box Office

Aquaman is set to win three straight weekends at the box office.

Aquaman will open 2019 by adding $30 million to its domestic box office total in the first weekend of the new year. That will bring the film’s domestic box office total to $259 million.

Aquaman is directed by James Wan and stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, the half-human prince of Atlantis he first played in Justice League (after a silent cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice). Aquaman must return to Atlantis to stop his half-brother from leading the underwater kingdoms into open warfare against the surface.

Sony’s new horror flick Escape Room will open in second place. Shot on a $9 million budget, the film earned $7.7 million on Friday and is expected to earn $17 million over the weekend.

Inspired by the popularity of modern escape games, Escape Room sees six strangers competing to solve a series of puzzles to win $1 million. The stakes are raised significantly when they discover that each room is a death trap that can kill them for real.

Mary Poppins Returns floats into third place in its third weekend. The film is expected to earn another $16.9 million over the weekend, bringing its domestic box office total to nearly $140 million.

The film is a sequel to Mary Poppins, the beloved 1964 Disney classic. Emily Blunt plays the iconic title role as Poppins reunites with the Banks children, now adults, after a family tragedy.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will swing into fourth place this weekend. The animated Spidey movie will $12.7 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its box office total to $133 million.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the first Spider-Man movie to focus on Miles Morales. Miles learns that there is an entire multiverse of spider-themed heroes like himself, including the Peter Parker of another timeline.

Keep reading to see the top ten at this weekend’s box office.

What are you going to see this weekend? Let us know in the comments!

1. Aquaman

Week Three
Friday: $9.1 million
Weekend: $30.3 million
Total: $259.3 million

Once home to the most advanced civilization on Earth, the city of Atlantis is now an underwater kingdom ruled by the power-hungry King Orm. With a vast army at his disposal, Orm plans to conquer the remaining oceanic people — and then the surface world. Standing in his way is Aquaman, Orm’s half-human, half-Atlantean brother and true heir to the throne. With help from royal counselor Vulko, Aquaman must retrieve the legendary Trident of Atlan and embrace his destiny as protector of the deep.

Aquaman is directed by James Wan, from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, based on a story by Geoff Johns, Wan and Beall. The film stars Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Nicole Kidman.

2. Escape Room

Opening Weekend
Friday: $7.7 million
Weekend: $17.3 million

Six adventurous strangers travel to a mysterious building to experience the escape room — a game where players compete to solve a series of puzzles to win $1 million. What starts out as seemingly innocent fun soon turns into a living nightmare as the four men and two women discover each room is an elaborate trap that’s part of a sadistic game of life or death.

Escape Room is directed by Adam Robitel and written by Bragi F. Schut and Maria Melnik, and stars Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Taylor Russell, Tyler Labine, Jay Ellis, and Nik Dodani, 

3. Mary Poppins Returns

Week Three
Friday: $5.1 million
Weekend: $16.9 million
Total: $139.8 million

Now an adult with three children, bank teller Michael Banks learns that his house will be repossessed in five days unless he can pay back a loan. His only hope is to find a missing certificate that shows proof of valuable shares that his father left him years earlier. Just as all seems lost, Michael and his sister receive the surprise of a lifetime when Mary Poppins — the beloved nanny from their childhood — arrives to save the day and take the Banks family on a magical, fun-filled adventure.

Mary Poppins Returns is directed by Rob Marshall, from a screenplay written by David Magee based on a story by Magee, Marshall and John DeLuca. The film is based on the book series by P. L. Travers and is a sequel to 1964’s Mary Poppins. The film stars Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Dick Van Dyke, Angela Lansbury, Colin Firth and Meryl Streep in supporting roles.

4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Week Four
Friday: $3.8 million
Weekend: $12.7 million
Total: $133.6 million

Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman from a screenplay by Phil Lord and Rothman. The film stars Shameik Moore as Miles Morales, with Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Mahershala Ali, Brian Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Luna Lauren Velez, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, and Liev Schreiber.

5. Bumblebee

Week Three
Friday: $3.8 million
Weekend: $12.6 million
Total: $96.9 million

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee the Autobot seeks refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie, on the brink of turning 18 years old and trying to find her place in the world, soon discovers the battle-scarred and broken Bumblebee. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns that this is no ordinary yellow Volkswagen.

Bumblebee is directed by Travis Knight and written by Christina Hodson. The film stars Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, and Pamela Adlon, as well as the voices of Dylan O’Brien, Peter Cullen, Angela Bassett, and Justin Theroux.

6. The Mule

Week Four
Friday: $2.8 million
Weekend: $12.6 million
Total: $96.9 million

Broke, alone and facing foreclosure on his business, Earl Stone takes a job as a drug courier for a Mexican cartel. His immediate success leads to easy money and a larger shipment that soon draws the attention of hard-charging DEA agent Colin Bates. When Earl’s past mistakes start to weigh heavily on his conscience, he must decide whether to right those wrongs before law enforcement and cartel thugs catch up to him.

The Mule is produced and directed by Clint Eastwood from a script by Nick Schenk based on The New York Times article “The Sinaloa Cartel’s 90-Year-Old Drug Mule” by Sam Dolnick about the true story of Leo Sharp, a World War II veteran turned drug dealer. The film stars Eastwood, Bradley Cooper, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Peña, Dianne Wiest, and Andy García. 

7. Vice

Week Two
Friday: $1.7 million
Weekend: $5.5 million
Total: $29.5 million

Gov. George W. Bush of Texas picks Dick Cheney, the CEO of Halliburton Co., to be his Republican running mate in the 2000 presidential election. No stranger to politics, Cheney’s impressive résumé includes stints as White House chief of staff, House Minority Whip and defense secretary. When Bush wins by a narrow margin, Cheney begins to use his newfound power to help reshape the country and the world.

Vice is writtena nd directed by Adam McKay. Christian Bale stars as Dick Cheney. The film also stars Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Alison Pill, Lily Rabe and Tyler Perry.

 

8. Second Act

Week Three
Friday: $1.5  million
Weekend: $5 million
Total: $33 million

Value Shop assistant manager Maya Vargas wants only one thing for her 43rd birthday — a promotion. While her résumé may not scream upper management, her track record certainly does. Vargas is an innovator who listens to her customers and delivers results. When she loses the job to a college-educated candidate, Maya sets out to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as book smarts — and it’s never too late for a second act.

Second Act is directed by Peter Segal and written by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Justin Zackham. The film stars Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens, Leah Remini, Annaleigh Ashford, Dan Bucatinsky, Freddie Stroma, Milo Ventimiglia, Treat Williams, and Larry Miller, 

9. Ralph Breaks the Internet

Week Seven
Friday: $1.5 million
Weekend: $4.8 million
Total: $187.3 million

Video game bad guy Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz must risk it all by traveling to the World Wide Web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, “Sugar Rush.” In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet — the netizens — to help navigate their way, including an entrepreneur named Yesss, who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of trend-making site BuzzzTube.

Ralph Breaks the Internet is directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston, written by Johnston and Pamela Ribon, and stars John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Ed O’Neill, Alan Tudyk, Gal Gadot, Taraji P. Henson, and Alfred Molina.

10. Holmes & Watson

Week Two
Friday: $1 million
Weekend: $3.3 million
Total: $28.3 million

Detective Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson join forces to investigate a mysterious murder at Buckingham Palace. It seems like an open-and-shut case as all signs point to Professor James Moriarty, the criminal mastermind and longtime nemesis of the crime-solving duo. When new twists and clues begin to emerge, the world’s greatest sleuth and his trusted assistant must now use their legendary wits and ingenious methods to catch the killer before the queen becomes the next victim.

Holmes & Watson is written and directed by Etan Cohen. The film stars Will Ferrell as Sherlock Holmes and John C. Reilly as Dr. Watson, with Rebecca Hall, Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, and Ralph Fiennes.