LOS ANGELES -- After two weeks of dominance, Disney's Toy Story 4 was knocked from the top spot at the box office by Columbia and Marvel's Spider-Man: Far From Home.
The third Marvel Cinematic Universe release of the year, Far From Home opened July 2, earning $185.1 million through Sunday, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore, well above analyst predictions of $125 million.
Part of the draw of the film, starring Tom Holland as Spider-Man and Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio, was seeing the first installment in a new chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With two other Marvel movies, Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, having been released this year, some might have expected to see signs of weary audiences last weekend. But franchise fatigue doesn't seem to be a problem for Marvel, despite the fact that Avengers: Endgame, released in April, hasn't even yet left the top 10 at the box office. That movie, which also features Holland's Spider-Man, landed in ninth place last weekend, bringing in $3.1 million during its 11th weekend in theaters.
Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, thinks Far From Home may have turned the tide.
"This movie was exactly the shot in the arm the summer needed, emotionally and spiritually if not financially," said Dergarabedian, who noted the weekend overall was roughly equal to the same time frame last year. "The whole notion of franchise fatigue, while true in some cases, is not in all. When movies aren't great, that's when people get fatigued."
The new movie was likely bolstered by strong reviews; it currently holds a 91% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In second place, Toy Story 4 added $34.3 million in its third weekend for a cumulative $306.6 million. Internationally, the picture earned $43.1 million for a worldwide cumulative of $650 million.
Universal's Yesterday came in at No. 3, adding $10.8 million in its second weekend for a cumulative $36.9 million. It currently stands at $57 million in global grosses.
In fourth place, Warner Bros.' Annabelle Comes Home added $9.8 million in its second weekend for a cumulative $50.2 million and $134.8 million worldwide.
Rounding out the top five, Disney's Aladdin added $7.6 million in its seventh weekend for a cumulative $320.8 million and $921 million globally.
Also new last weekend, A24's Midsommar earned $10.9 million after its July 3 opening
Directed by indie horror filmmaker Ari Aster, the movie follows a young couple who find themselves on a pastoral Swedish retreat that grows increasingly more sinister. The psychological thriller (a la The Wicker Man) earned an 82% fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes but a lackluster C-plus CinemaScore.
In seventh place, Universal's The Secret Life of Pets 2 added $4.8 million in its fifth weekend for a cumulative $140.7 million.
At No. 8, Columbia's Men in Black: International added $3.6 million in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $72 million.
In ninth place, Disney's Avengers: Endgame added $3.1 million in its 11th weekend for a cumulative $847.9 million.
Rounding out the top 10, Paramount's Rocketman added $2.8 million in its sixth weekend for a cumulative $89.2 million.
Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love, Nick Broomfield's documentary on singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen and muse Marianne Ihlen, led the specialty openings with a per-screen average of $11,078. The Roadside Attractions release brought in $44,311 on four screens in New York and Los Angeles.
Also in limited release, Sony Pictures Classics' Maiden expanded into 18 additional locations for a total of 24, earning $147,467 in its third weekend, for a cumulative $224,216.
Neon expanded Wild Rose in its third weekend to 63 locations from 16, earning $209,000 and a cumulative $380,770.
Greenwich Entertainment's Echo in the Canyon expanded into 144 locations to $336,132 for a cumulative $2 million.
CBS Films expanded the documentary Pavarotti into 250 theaters in its fifth weekend to $470,000 for a cumulative $3 million.
A24's The Last Black Man in San Francisco is playing in 188 locations (up from 155) and added $332,899 for a cumulative $2.7 million.
ArtAffects Entertainment's The Other Side of Heaven 2 added $177,975 in its second weekend for a cumulative $966,425.
This week, Paramount releases the horror film Crawl, and 20th Century Fox opens the action comedy Stuber. In limited release, A24 reveals the comedy drama The Farewell starring Awkwafina, and Bleecker Street unveils the Jesse Eisenberg comedy The Art of Self Defense.
MovieStyle on 07/12/2019