The Croods: A New Age Tops Box Office Weekend Without New Releases

The Croods family scores another box office victory as the sequel, The Croods: A New Age, remains atop the charts. The DreamWorks Animation release earned another $3 million in its third weekend in theaters, bringing its domestic box office total to $24.2 million The sequel finds the Croods family dealing with new neighbors, the Bettermans, who are a little more evolved than the titular prehistoric family. Directed by Joel Crawford, the film’s voice cast includes returning stars Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman, and newcomers Peter Dinklage, Leslie Mann, and Kelly Marie Tran.

This weekend is noteworthy for having no new wide releases as theaters continue to struggle through the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, holiday season favorites returning to theaters take up several spots on this weekend’s list. Will Ferrell’s Elf lands in third place in the fifth week of its re-release, earning another $390,000. National’s Lampoons Christmas Vacation is in sixth place in its third week back at theaters, bringing in $237,000 this weekend. The animated children’s book adaptation The Polar Express returns to theaters this weekend, earning $237,000.

Wonder Woman also returns to theaters this weekend ahead of the Christmas Day debut of its sequel, Wonder Woman 1984. The 2017 DC Comics adaptation earned $187,000 in its first weekend back in theaters.

Freaky, The War With Grandpa, and Come Play also remains on the chart. Keep reading to see this weekend’s full list.

1. The Croods: A New Age

• Week Three
• Weekend: $3 million
• Total: $24.2 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.

2. Half Brothers

• Week Two
• Weekend: $490,000
• Total: $1.38 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.

3. Elf

• Week Five (of Re-Release)
• Weekend: $390,000
• Total: $173.7 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.

4. Freaky

• Week Three
• Weekend: $315,000
• Total: $8.2 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.

5. The War With Grandpa

• Week 10
• Weekend: $266,000
• Total: $18 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.

6. Nation Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

• Week Three (of re-release)
• Weekend: $237,000
• Total: $73.1 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.

7. The Polar Express

• Week Two (or re-release)
• Weekend: $237,000
• Total: $187.4 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.

8. All My Life

Jennifer Carter and Solomon Chau are a sweet, fun-loving, newly engaged couple who are ready to start their lives together. But when Solomon is diagnosed with terminal liver cancer, their hopes for a summer wedding become impossible. With time running out, their friends and families soon devise an inspirational plan to help Jennifer and Solomon realize their dream wedding.

All My Life was directed by Marc Meyers from a screenplay Todd Rosenberg wrote, based on a true story. The movie stars Jessica Rothe, Harry Shum Jr., Kyle Allen, Chrissie Fit, Jay Pharoah, Marielle Scott, and Keala Settle.

9. Wonder Woman

• Opening Weekend (of re-release)
• Weekend: $187,000
• Total: $412.7 million

Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, Diana meets an American pilot who tells her about the massive conflict that’s raging in the outside world. Convinced that she can stop the threat, Diana leaves her home for the first time. Fighting alongside men in a war to end all wars, she finally discovers her full powers and true destiny.

Directed by Patty Jenkins from a screenplay by Allan Heinberg, Wonder Woman stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, David Thewlis, Connie Nielsen, Elena Anaya, and Saïd Taghmaoui.

10. Come Play

• Week Seven
• Weekend: $175,000
• Total: $9.2 million

Parents fight to save their son when a mysterious creature uses his electronic devices to break into our world.

Come Play is written and directed by Jacob Chase. The film stars Gillian Jacobs, John Gallagher Jr., Azhy Robertson, and Winslow Fegley.