Before we get into the leaderboard for the weekend, a note on the record-breaking run ofFinding Dory. If you have a kid — or have been around kids or were a kid yourself in the last two decades — you’ll know what a juggernautFinding Nemowas. Kids were (and still are) obsessed with this movie, and Nemo in particular. It wasn’t a flash in the pan, either.Nemohas stood the test of time, and it seems that its follow-up,Dory, is poised to do the same. For now, at least, it’s shattering box office records, and bringing Disney a load of cash.
Let’s look at some numbers.Finding Dory’s domestic gross of $445 million has garnered it the #1 spot under the banner of highest grossing animated film (domestically), knocking ofShrek 2($441 million) — and it’s not done yet. Dory has also grossed $721 million worldwide, and it hasn’t even opened in the UK, Italy, or Germany yet. All of this has sent Disney on a rocket to the moon (made of money), scoring over $2 billion domestically this year already, and putting them at over $5 billion worldwide.
Back down on Earth, as predicted,Ghostbusters’ spot as the box office lead on Friday was challenged and overtaken, ultimately, byThe Secret Life of Pets.Ghostbusters’ $46 million weekend number is solid, though not grand, and given its $144 million price tag, it will need to perform steadily for awhile domestically and internationally to recoup. Sony has said that there will be sequels, so they are clearly expecting it to perform (which as I mentioned yesterday is something directorPaul Feig’s movies tend to be — slow and steady moneymakers).
The Secret Life of Pets’success will surely herald in a new franchise for Universal, as its $50 million this weekend adds up to over $203 million since its debut last weekend. That’s quite a haul. Once again, it’s good to be an animated movie in the summertime, when parents are looking to keep the kids busy and themselves cool by heading to a movie theater.
Elsewhere,The Legend of Tarzancontinues to hold steady, even passing the $100 million mark and coming in third for the weekend. It’s certainly no bomb, and it has outperformed (in three weeks)Independence Day: Resurgence, which after a month still hasn’t hit $100 million domestically. Ouch.
Steve Spielberg’sThe BFGalso continues to underperform, whileMike and Dave Need Wedding Datesand critically-acclaimed drama flickThe Infiltratoralso continue to find small audiences.
Check out the full Top 10 estimates below:
Weekend Gross
Total Gross
The Secret Life of Pets
$50,560,000
$203,147,865
Ghostbusters
$46,000,000
The Legend of Tarzan
$11,120,000
$103,050,257
Finding Dory
$11,040,000
$445,504,450
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
$7,500,000
$31,323,716
The Purge: Election Year
$6,080,000
$71,001,660
Central Intelligence
$5,300,000
$117,508,303
The Infiltrator
$5,287,124
$6,749,973
$3,747,000
$47,336,611
Independence Day: Resurgence
$3,450,000
$98,516,443
