Monster Hunter Tops Opening Weekend at the Box Office

Monster Hunter takes over the box office on the weekend before Christmas. The box office remains anemic with the coronavirus pandemic still ongoing, but Monster Hunter managed to earn $2.2 million in its first weekend at the box office. The film is based on the popular Capcom video game series and stars Milla Jovovich in the lead role of Lt. Artemis. Last week’s frontrunner, The Croods: A New Age, land in second place and earning another $2 million.

Holiday season favorites returning to theaters take up several spots on this weekend’s list, including Will Ferrell’s Elf, National’s Lampoons Christmas Vacation, The Polar Express, and Jim Carrey’s live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas movie. Freaky and The War With Grandpa also remain on the chart, and newcomer Fatale debuts at number three.

Next week will see the release of Wonder Woman 1984 in theaters on Christmas Day, as well as on HBO Max. Time will tell how the DC Comics sequel does after its disappointing opening weekend in theaters in international markets. For now, keep reading to see what films are on the top 10 box office list this weekend.

Have you seen Monster Hunter? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

1. Monster Hunter

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $2.2 million

Behind our world, there is another — a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When Lt. Artemis and her loyal soldiers are transported from our world to the new one, the unflappable lieutenant receives the shock of her life. In a desperate battle for survival against enormous enemies with incredible powers and unstoppable, terrifying attacks, Artemis teams up with a mysterious hunter who has found a way to fight back.

Based on Capcom’s video game series, Monster Hunter is directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It stars Milla Jovovich, Tony Jaa, Tip “T. I.” Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta, Josh Helman, Jin Au-Yeung and Ron Perlman.

2. The Croods: A New Age

• Week Four
• Weekend: $2 million
• Total: $27 million

Searching for a safer habitat, the prehistoric Crood family discovers an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of its needs. Unfortunately, they must also learn to live with the Bettermans — a family that’s a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. As tensions between the new neighbors start to rise, a new threat soon propels both clans on an epic adventure that forces them to embrace their differences, draw strength from one another, and survive together.

The Croods: A New Age is directed by Joel Crawford from a screenplay by Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman, Paul Fisher, and Bob Logan. The film’s voice cast includes Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, Cloris Leachman, Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann, and Kelly Marie Tran.

3. Fatale

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $925,000

A married man’s life turns into a living nightmare when he has a one-night stand with a manipulative woman who turns out to be a detective.
 
Fatale is directed by Deon Taylor, from a screenplay written by David Loughery. The film stars Hilary Swank, Michael Ealy, Mike Colter, and Geoffrey Owens.

4. Elf

• Week Six (of Re-Release)
• Weekend: $371,000
• Total: $174.3 million

Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. As it happens, this is Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a cynical businessman. After a DNA test proves this, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly chaotic results.

First released in 2003, Elf was directed by Jon Favreau, written by David Berenbaum, and stars Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Daniel Tay, Bob Newhart and Ed Asner.

5. Half Brothers

• Week Three
• Weekend: $260,000
• Total: $1.8 million

Renato, a successful Mexican aviation executive, is shocked to discover he has an American half brother he never knew about — the free-spirited Asher. The two very different half brothers are forced on a road trip together. masterminded by their ailing father, tracing the path he took as an immigrant from Mexico to America.

Half Brothers was directed by Luke Greenfield from a screenplay written by Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman. The film stars Luis Gerardo Méndez, Connor Del Rio, José Zúñiga, Vincent Spano, Pia Watson and Juan Pablo Espinosa.

6. The Polar Express

• Week Three (or re-release)
• Weekend: $225,000
• Total: $187.8 million

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

The Polar Express was directed by Robert Zemeckis and is based on Chris Van Allsburg’s 1985 children’s book of the same name. The animated film’s voice cast includes Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen.

7. National Lampooon’s Christmas Vacation

• Week Four (of re-release)
• Weekend: $211,000
• Total: $73.7 million

As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and written by John Hughes, based on “Christmas ’59,” a short story he wrote for National Lampoon magazine. The film stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid.

8. The War With Grandpa

• Week 11
• Weekend: $170,000
• Total: $18.1 million

Peter and his grandpa used to be very close, but when Grandpa Jack moves in with the family, Peter is forced to give up his most prized possession: his bedroom. Peter will stop at nothing to get his room back, scheming with friends to devise a series of pranks to drive him out. However, grandpa doesn’t give up easily, and it turns into an all-out war between the two.

The War with Grandpa is directed by Tim Hill from a screenplay by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, based on Robert Kimmel Smith’s novel of the same name. The film stars Robert De Niro, Oakes Fegley, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Laura Marano, Cheech Marin, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Walken.

9. Freaky

• Week Six
• Weekend: $165,000
• Total: $8.5 Million

Seventeen-year-old Millie Kessler spends her days trying to survive high school and the cruel actions of the popular crowd. But when she becomes the latest target of the Butcher, the town’s infamous serial killer, her senior year becomes the least of her worries. When the Butcher’s mystical dagger causes him and Millie to magically switch bodies, the frightened teen learns she has just 24 hours to get her identity back before she looks like a middle-aged maniac forever.

Freaky is directed by Christopher Landon, based on a screenplay he wrote Landon with Michael Kennedy. The film stars Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Katie Finneran, Celeste O’Connor, and Alan Ruck.

10. Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas

• Opening Weekend (of re-release)
• Weekend: $130,000
• Total: $260.1 million

In this live-action adaptation of the beloved children’s tale by Dr. Seuss, the reclusive green Grinch decides to ruin Christmas for the cheery citizens of Whoville. Reluctantly joined by his hapless dog, Max, the Grinch comes down from his mountaintop home and sneaks into town to swipe everything holiday-related from the Whos. However, the bitter grump finds a hitch in his plans when he encounters the endearing Cindy Lou Who.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas was directed by Ron Howard and written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, based on Dr. Seuss’s 1957 book of the same name. Anthony Hopkins narrates the film, which stars Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin, and Molly Shannon.