Liam Neeson’s The Marksman Remains Atop Box Office

Liam Neeson The Marksman remains atop the box office after dethroning Wonder Woman 1984 over last weekend’s holiday. The Marksman earned $2 million in second weekend. Wonder Woman 1984 remains in third place, behind The Croods: A New Age. Wonder Woman 1984‘s theatrical run began on Christmas Day, and it has been available on WarnerMedia’s HBO Max streaming service simultaneously, though that will end today. The DC Films sequel hasn’t received the same acclaim from critics that its predecessor did, dropping to a 59% critics approval rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, which is barely low enough to mark the film as “rotten.”

ComicBook.com‘s Brandon Davis gave Wonder Woman 1984 3.5 out of 5 stars. In his review, he writes, “Wonder Woman 1984 learns from the critiques of its excellent predecessor, delivering a much more contained finale by comparison to its extravagant and over-sized blow-out third act in the first movie, but it would have benefited from some more character work, sharper pacing and conclusions, and, well, a little bit more Wonder Woman. The team delivers an exciting and inspirational new tale, with a surprising level of worldly commentary considering when it was shot, along with a much-needed message of hope — all complemented strongly by the always empathic musical score from Hans Zimmer.”

Original Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins returned to helm the sequel. Also returning are stars Gal Gadot as Diana Prince and Chris Pine as Steve Trevor. Newcomers to the cast include Pedro Pascal as Maxwell Lord and Kristen Wiig as Barbara Minerva/Cheetah. Robin Wright and Connie Nielsen also return as Diana’s Amazon aunt and mother, Antiope and Hippolyta.

Down the chart, Monster Hunter, the film adaptation of the popular video game series, remains in fifth place. Keep reading to see this week’s full list of top 10 films at the box office.

1. The Marksman

• Week Two
• Weekend: $2.03 million
• Total: $6.09 million

Jim is a former Marine who lives a solitary life as a rancher along the Arizona-Mexican border. But his peaceful existence soon comes crashing down when he tries to protect a boy on the run from members of a vicious cartel.

The Marksman is directed by Robert Lorenz. It stars Liam Neeson, Katheryn Winnick, Juan Pablo Raba, Teresa Ruiz.

2. The Croods: A New Age

• Week Nine
• Weekend: $1.82 million
• Total: $41.8 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. Wonder Woman 1984

• Week Five
• Weekend: $1.6 million
• Total: $37.7 million

Diana Prince lives quietly among mortals in the vibrant, sleek 1980s — an era of excess driven by the pursuit of having it all. Though she’s come into her full powers, she maintains a low profile by curating ancient artifacts, and only performing heroic acts incognito. But soon, Diana will have to muster all of her strength, wisdom and courage as she finds herself squaring off against Maxwell Lord and the Cheetah, a villainess who possesses superhuman strength and agility.

Wonder Woman 1984 was directed by Patty Jenkins, who co-wrote the script with Geoff Johns and Dave Callaham. The film stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, and Connie Nielsen

4. Monster Hunter

• Week Six
• Weekend: $820,000
• Total: $10.1 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.

5. News of the World

• Week Five
• Weekend: $810,000
• Total: $9.6 million

Five years after the end of the Civil War, Capt. Jefferson Kyle Kidd crosses paths with a 10-year-old girl taken by the Kiowa people. Forced to return to her aunt and uncle, Kidd agrees to escort the child across the harsh and unforgiving plains of Texas. However, the long journey soon turns into a fight for survival as the traveling companions encounter danger at every turn — both human and natural.

News of the World is directed by Paul Greengrass and stars Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel. The film is based on Paulette Jiles’s 2016 novel of the same name.

6. Fatale

• Week Six
• Weekend: $415,000
• Total: $5.2 million

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.

7. Promising Young Woman

 

• Week Five
• Weekend: $400,000
• Total: $3.97 million

Nothing in Cassie’s life is what it appears to be — she’s wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she’s living a secret double life by night. Now, an unexpected encounter is about to give Cassie a chance to right the wrongs from the past.

Promising Young Woman is directed by Emerald Fennell. The movie stars Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham, Alison Brie, Clancy Brown, Jennifer Coolidge, Laverne Cox, and Connie Britton.

8. Our Friend

• Opening Weekend
• Total: $250,000

Our Friend tells the inspiring and extraordinary true story of the Teague family–journalist Matt, his vibrant wife Nicole and their two young daughters–and how their lives are upended by Nicole’s heartbreaking diagnosis of terminal cancer. As Matt’s responsibilities as caretaker and parent become increasingly overwhelming, the couple’s best friend Dane Faucheux offers to come and help out. As Dane puts his life on hold to stay with his friends, the impact of this life altering decision proves greater and more profound than anyone could have imagined.

Our Friend is directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, from a screenplay written by Brad Ingelsby, based on Matthew Teague’s article “The Friend,” published in Esquire. The film stars Jason Segel, Dakota Johnson, and Casey Affleck.

9. The War WIth Grandpa

• Week 16
• Weekend: $164,000
• Total: $19.4 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.

10. Pinocchio

• Week Five
• Weekend: $122,600
• Total: $1.5 million

Geppetto’s puppet creation, Pinocchio, magically comes to life with dreams of becoming a real boy. Easily led astray, Pinocchio tumbles from one misadventure to another as he is tricked, kidnapped and chased by bandits through a wonderful world full of imaginative creatures – from the belly of a giant fish, to the Land of Toys and the Field of Miracles.

Pinocchio is directed by Matteo Garrone, based on Carlo Collodi’s 1883 book The Adventures of Pinocchio. The film stars Federico Ielapi, Roberto Benigni, Gigi Proietti, Rocco Papaleo, Massimo Ceccherini, and Marine Vacth.