Box Office: Moana & Beasts Repeat as Top 2

The annual post-turkey blues kicked in with the box office being sliced in half from last weekend, but the top two films remained strong making the box office even with last year and substantially ahead of 2014.

Disney’s latest blockbuster Moana fell just under 50% this weekend, a great hold considering the last two years the top film (both in the Hunger Games franchise) fell over 60%. Adding an estimated $28.4M to its treasure chest, the tale of Maui and pals has taken in $120M so far, with a lot more left in the tank. Overseas the film has taken in $57.5M for a worldwide total of $177.5M to date.

In second place was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them which took in an estimated $18.5M, a steep drop of 59% from last weekend – the worst drop in the top 10 – and yet not too bad considering its the weekend after Thanksgiving. Its total now stands at $183.5M. Internationally the tale of Newt and his beasts has taken in $424M bringing its worldwide total to just over $600M.

Paramount, which has had a pretty dismal year all things considered, had the next couple of films with Arrival and Allied separated by a slim margin. The sci-fi thriller Arrival had the best hold in the top 10 falling only 36% to an estimated $7.3M bringing its total up to $73M. The $100M club is well within range, especially if there are significant Oscar nomination in its future. Brad Pitt’s WWII thriller Allied took in an estimated $7M bringing its total to $29M after two weeks. It could end its run in the $50M range.

Marvel’s Doctor Strange kept right on trucking taking in an estimated $6.5M this weekend, bringing its cume up to $215M, which places it solidly in ninth place in the MCU pecking order, where it will likely stay. The animated Trolls brought in another $4.6M, according to estimates, taking its total up to $141M after five weeks.

Mel Gibson’s return to the directing chair, Hacksaw Ridge, continued its impressive run falling only 38% from last weekend to an estimated $3.4M, bringing its total up to $57M. Billy Bob Thornton’s return to his Santa suit isn’t living up to audience expectations as Bad Santa 2 fell 47% in its second weekend to $3.2M, according to estimates, bringing its total up to only $14.3M. It likely won’t even hit $20M when all is said and done. The original film was at $27M after its second weekend, and that was in 2003.

In ninth place was the one wide new release this weekend, the horror film Incarnate. Unfortunately moviegoers rejected the film as it took in only $2.65M, according to estimates. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 21% and a C- from CinemaScore, this one will be in the theatrical dustbin soon enough. Rounding out the top 10 was the holiday dramedy Almost Christmas which made an estimated $2.5M bringing it total up to $38M.

Just outside of the top 10 was awards hopeful Manchester by the Sea which took in an estimated $2.6M for a per screen average of $15,151. Its cume now stands at $4.4M after three weeks. Another Oscar hopeful opened on five screens this weekend as Natalie Portman’s Jackie took in an estimated $275,000 for a $55,000 per screen average.

The top ten films grossed an estimated $84.2M which was down 3% from last year when The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 stayed at number one with $18.8M; and up 23.6% from 2014 when Mockingjay Part 1 remained in the top spot with $22M.