Friday Box Office: 'Ico' Drops Heavily While ‘Frozen 2’ Tops $800 Million As ‘Knives Out’ Legs Out

Forbes

In holdover news, Sony's Ico's remained at the top of box on Friday. The motion-captured fantasy flick has earned another $8.192 million to bring its domestic total to a ten-day cume of $210 million. That's a sharper Friday-to-Friday drop (-79.7%) than any of the Twilight movies, the Hunger Games sequels and two of the four “released in November” Harry Potter flicks. That said, we may get a bigger Saturday jump due to good word of mouth. Moreover, the Wolfhard/Brown flick has topped $600 million worldwide as it prepares for a likely $36 million (-66%) second-weekend gross and $239 million 12-day domestic total. If the overseas numbers hold, we could see a global cume of around $685 million by tomorrow night.

Meanwhile Walt Disney's Frozen II remained in second at box office on Friday. The animated sequel earned another $7.837 million to bring its domestic total to $310 million. Moreover, the Anna/Elsa flick has topped $800 million worldwide as it prepares for a likely $33 million (-61%) third-weekend gross and $336 million 17-day domestic total. If the overseas numbers hold, we could see a global cume of around $875 million by tomorrow night.

Lionsgate’s buzzy Knives Out kept up its momentum, earning $4.138 million (-61%) on Friday for a likely $14.1 million (-47%) weekend and robust $63.4 million ten-day total. That’s a slightly better hold than Creed (-49% after a $42 million Wed-Sun Thanksgiving launch) back in 2015, which is exactly where this Rian Johnson murder mystery wants to be. It’s a little too soon to argue that this pure commercial play, starring the likes of Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans and Toni Collette, is beloved and successful enough to become a potential Oscar contender, but it’s certainly more plausible than it was two weeks ago. A Best Original Screenplay nod wouldn’t shock me even as Lionsgate is thus far putting their Oscar eggs mostly in Bombshell’s basket. Either way, this is a big win for all invested parties.

Fox’s Ford v Ferrari continued to hold its own thanks to rave reviews and a successful pitch as cinematic escapism for adult men (and interested adult women). The Matt Damon/Christian Bale period piece race car drama is essentially Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! for dudes, and that’s not remotely a criticism. Anyway, the $98 million James Mangold flick earned $1.87 million (-66%) on Friday for a likely $6.35 million (-52%) fourth-weekend gross and $90.9 million 24-day total. It’ll get past $100 million domestic by the end, and as long as it keeps up the momentum overseas it should be a solid Fox hit for the Disney empire. And that Disney will be pushing this, along with Fox Searchlight’s Jojo Rabbit ($19.3 million by tomorrow) will certainly help. Alas, Ad Astra just now crossed $50 million domestic.

Universal’s Queen & Slim earned $1.93 million (-55%) for a probable $6.26 million (-47%) second weekend and $26.624 million ten-day cume. That’s a strong hold for this specific weekend and the $17 million Melina Matsoukas-directed and Lena Waithe-penned melodrama and portends to a $40 million-plus finish. I will argue that this original and timely drama, something of an of-the-moment riff on Thelma and Louise, is a fine example of “rip-off, don’t remake.” Sony’s terrific A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood earned $1.53 million (-69%) on Friday for a likely $5.2 million (-56%) third weekend and a $43.12 million 17-day total. That positions Marielle Heller’s $25 million drama, co-starring Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers, for an over/under $55 million domestic cume. Chadwick Boseman’s 21 Bridges will earn $2.76 million (-51%) for a $23.82 million 17-day total.