LOS ANGELES —Sequels and revivals dominated the box office over the holiday weekend as the top four spots went to follow-ups of popular franchises that contributed to the biggest overall Thanksgiving weekend ever.
In first place, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Ralph Breaks the Internet” premiered with an impressive $84.5 million for five days, with $55.7 million of that coming Friday through Sunday, according to figures from measurement firm Comscore.
The $175 million film easily surpassed analysts’ projections of $65 million to $75 million.
The sequel to 2012’s “Wreck-It Ralph,” which opened with $49 million before earning $471 million worldwide, sees arcade game characters Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) traveling through cyberspace in a send-up of internet culture and Disney’s own franchises. It went over well with audiences and critics, with an A-minus rating on CinemaScore and an 86 percent “fresh” rating on review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.
At No. 2, MGM’s “Creed II” debuted with $55.8 million ($35.3 million Friday-Sunday), the largest Thanksgiving opening for a live-action film.
A follow-up to 2015’s “Creed,” the sequel cost at least $40 million to make. It also earned positive reviews from audiences and critics, with an A rating on CinemaScore and an 82 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Universal’s “The Grinch” came in third in its third weekend, adding $42 million ($30.2 million Friday-Sunday) for a cumulative $180.4 million.
Warner Bros.’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” earned $42.9 million over five days but slipped to fourth place with $29.7 million for Friday-Sunday in its second weekend (a 52 percent drop) for a cumulative $117.1 million.
Rounding out the top five, Fox’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” earned $19.2 million ($13.8 million Friday-Sunday) in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $152 million.
New over the weekend, Lionsgate’s “Robin Hood” opened at $14.2 million ($9.1 million Friday-Sunday), below analysts’ predictions of $17 million. The big-budget revival, which cost an estimated $100 million to make, was well-received by audiences but fell flat with critics, earning a B rating on CinemaScore and a 12 percent “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
After expanding into wide release, Universal Pictures’ “Green Book” landed at No. 9, taking in $7.4 million for five days ($5.4 million Friday-Sunday) for a cumulative $7.8 million.
In limited release, Fox Searchlight opened “The Favourite” on Friday with $420,000 in four theaters for an impressive per-screen average of $105,000. The period drama, which stars Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone, was well-received by critics, with a 95 percent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sony’s “The Front Runner” expanded into 807 locations in its third weekend, earning $630,000 for a cumulative $1 million.
Netflix’s Oscar hopeful “Roma” debuted in three theaters in New York and Los Angeles several weeks before the acclaimed movie becomes available for streaming. The picture is scheduled to expand into additional theaters Dec. 5 before it streams online Dec. 14. Netflix does not report box office returns.
This week, Sony’s Screen Gems premieres the horror film “The Possession of Hanna Grace.”