While unable to top Avatar: The Way of Water, which continues to top the box office, M3GAN is off to a strong start in its opening weekend. The new horror film from James Wan will $27.5 million over the weekend,n including $11.7 million on Friday. Avatar: The Way of Water continues to dominate with at least $38 million in its fourth weekend, leading to a domestic box office total of up to $515 million. M3GAN has been well-received by critics, with a high and a consensus that reads, “Unapologetically silly and all the more entertaining for it, M3GAN is the rare horror-comedy that delivers chuckles as effortlessly as chills.” ComicBook.com’s Patrick Cavanaugh gave it a more middle 3-out-of-5 star review. He writes:
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“M3GAN remains an enigmatic experience, as it feels both like a killer doll movie and also a killer child movie, given the physical stature of the titular killer. Her physicality and body language are inherently creepy, so with this specific subgenre being relegated to the backburner or straight-to-streaming releases for years, it’s at least refreshing to see something this weird for the horror realm earning a major release. January is often known to be a dumping ground for horror, with M3GAN absolutely bucking that trend and offering audiences something that is genuinely entertaining, even if its horrors and humor are sure to land with mixed reactions. The movie might not do anything new for the subgenre, but even bringing these concepts back in a big way, especially given the disappointments of the 2019 Child’s Play reboot, is worth celebrating. Then again, seeing the ways in which Chucky on SYFY is breaking new ground not only for the killer doll tropes, but horror storytelling in general, makes M3GAN feel like it missed some opportunities. If anything, we’re hoping that this is merely M3GAN 1.0 and, whether it’s in this universe proper or in the hands of new filmmakers whose first introduction to killer dolls is this film, this is just the beginning of some much-needed upgrades to the concept.”
Puss in Boots, A Man Called Otto, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever complete this week’s top five at the box office. The full list of the top 10 films at the box office this weekend follows.
1. Avatar: The Way of Water
- Week Four
- Weekend: $43 million
- Total: $515.7 million
Jake Sully and Ney’tiri have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.
James Cameron directed Avatar: The Way of Water from a screenplay he co-wrote with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. The film’s cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald,
2. M3GAN
- Opening Weekend
- Total: $27.5 million
M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a lifelike doll that’s programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by Gemma, a brilliant roboticist, M3GAN can listen, watch and learn as it plays the role of friend and teacher, playmate and protector. When Gemma becomes the unexpected caretaker of her 8-year-old niece, she decides to give the girl an M3GAN prototype, a decision that leads to unimaginable consequences.
Gerard Johnstone directed M3GAN from a screenplay by Akela Cooper. The film stars Allison Williams, Jenna Davis, and Violet McGraw.
3. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
- Week Three
- Weekend: $12.4 million
- Total: $87 million
Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: he has burnt through eight of his nine lives. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.
Joel Crawford directed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, with Januel Mercado co-directing, from a screenplay by Paul Fisher and Tommy Swerdlow. Its voice cast includes Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Samson Kayo, John Mulaney, Wagner Moura, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Anthony Mendez.
4. A Man Called Otto
- Week Two
- Total: $3.76
When a lively young family moves in next door, grumpy widower Otto Anderson meets his match in a quick-witted, pregnant woman named Marisol, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world upside down.
Marc Forster directed A Man Called Otto from a screenplay written by David Magee. It is based on the 2012 novel A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and remakes the 2015 Swedish film adaptation. The film stars Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo.
5. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- Week Nine
- Weekend: $3 million
- Total: $445 million
Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.
Ryan Coogler directed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever from a screenplay he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole. The movie stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Florence Kasumba, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Angela Bassett.
6. I Wanna Dance With Somebody
- Week Three
- Weekend: $2.38 million
- Total: $19.6 million
Discovered by record executive Clive Davis, Whitney Houston rises from obscurity to international fame in the 1980s to become one of the greatest singers of her generation.
Kasi Lemmons directed I Wanna Dance With Somebody from a screenplay by Anthony McCarten, based on the life of Whitney Houston. It stars Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, and Clarke Peters.
7. Babylon
- Week Three
- Weekend: $1.4 million
- Total: $13.5 million
Decadence, depravity, and outrageous excess lead to the rise and fall of several ambitious dreamers in 1920s Hollywood.
Damien Chazelle wrote and directed Babylon. The film stars Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, and Li Jun Li.
8. The Whale
- Week Five
- Weekend: $1.38 million
- Total: $8.4 million
An obese and reclusive English teacher tries to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption.
Darren Aronofsky directed The Whale from a screenplay by Samuel D. Hunter, based on his 2012 play of the same name. The film stars Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins, and Samantha Morton.
9. The Menu
- Week Eight
- Weekend: $724,000
- Total: $37.7 million
Margot is invited by foodie Tyler to travel with him and a group of other food lovers to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where Chef Slowik has prepared a lavish menu. From the beginning, Margot finds everything strange, from the woman who greets them at the boat, to the tiny portions and the odd offerings. Chef Slowik is also as strange as they come. But she soon discovers far more shocking surprises are yet to come, including a massive secret that Tyler’s been keeping from her.
Mark Mylod directed The Menu from a screenplay written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Reed Birney, Judith Light, and John Leguizamo.
10. Violent Night
- Week Five
- Weekend: $670,000
- Total: $49.3 million
An elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage inside. However, they aren’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.
Tommy Wirkola directed Violent Night, from a screenplay written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. The film stars David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Edi Patterson, Cam Gigandet, Leah Brady, and Beverly D’Angelo.
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