Disney/Pixar’s Incredibles 2 had the North America box office all to itself this weekend as it set a record for biggest animated opening of all time. The heroic opening for the long-awaited sequel left fellow new arrivals Tag and Superfly in the dust.
The top ten surged 132% over last weekend at this time and was also up a healthy 42% over this time last year where another Disney/Pixar sequel, Cars 3, opened to a quiet $53.6 million.
Released at a time where superhero films had yet to saturate the film market, 2004’s The Incredibles was met with unanimous praise from public and press and a box office debut just north of $70 million ($103 million in today’s market). The animated feature went on to gross $261 million in North America. Thanks to a strong home video and cable afterlife enthusiasm for the film has never waned, nor has the demand for a sequel.
Fourteen years later, the wishes of fans everywhere has finally been met. The years of pent-up demand, combined with the marketing might of the Mouse House, translated into a record-setting $180 million opening on 4,410 screens for Incredibles 2.
Not only was Incredibles 2’s opening the biggest of all time for an animated feature –a title previously held by Finding Dory’s $135 million-, it was the eighth biggest debut of all time. It was also the third best debut of 2018, surpassed only by Avengers: Infinity War’s $257.7 million and Black Panther’s $202 million.
The daily box office numbers were $18.5 million from Thursday night previews, $53 million on Opening Day, $59 million on Saturday and an estimated $49.6 million from Father’s Day on Sunday.
On the critical side, Incredibles 2 scored well, earning a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 80/100 on Metacritic. The film fared even better with the general public, who bestowed the return of the Parrs with an “A+” on CinemaScore. This marks the seventh Pixar Studios production to score the high marks on the website.
Despite the start of the World Cup, Incredibles 2 also got off to a strong international start this weekend. Disney opened the film in 25 international markets, where it scored $51.5 million. Those numbers should climb higher next weekend when the film opens in China and India.
Far, far back in second place was Warner’s Ocean’s 8, which withstood the latest Disney superhero onslaught to earn $19.5 million from 4,145 theaters. Down 53% from its debut one week ago, Ocean’s 8 has scored $79 million so far. It should finish its run somewhere around the $125-130 million mark. Overseas, the film has banked $37 million so far.
In third place with a moderate $14.6 million from 3,382 screens was the Warner/New Line comedy Tag. The $28 million action/comedy starring Jeremy Renner, John Hamm, Ed Helms, Jake Johnson and Hannibal Buress, received mixed notices from the critics -56% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 57/100 on Metacritic- and an okay “B+” from viewers on CinemaScore.
Solo: A Star Wars Story landed in fourth place with $9.1 million from 3,182 theaters. Off a moderate 42% in its fourth weekend, Solo has scored $193 million. The Ron Howard film should wind down with roughly $210 million. Overseas, Solo has earned $146.7 million.
Rounding out the top five was Fox’s Deadpool 2 with an estimated $8.7 million from 3,212 screens. Down 38%, Wade and pals have bagged $295 million after five weeks. The film should pass the $300 million mark by next weekend. A final near the $320 million mark is a possibility. International grosses for Deadpool 2 stand at $395 million.
- Hereditary (A24) $7 million (-48%); $27 million
- Superfly (2018) (Sony) $6.3 million; $8.4 million
Sony’s low-budget remake of the 1970s blaxplotation classic opened on Wednesday to get a jump on the competition, but in the end it was for naught. Still, with a budget of only $16 million, it should turn a tidy profit once it hits home video.
- Avengers: Infinity War (Disney) $5.3 million (-27%); $664.2 million
- Adrift (STX) $2.1 million (-60%); $27 million
- Book Club (Paramount) $1.85 million (-57%); $62 million
Next weekend sees the North American premiere of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, which has already earned a mighty $370 million from international markets over the past two weeks. The movie is forecasted to open in the States with at least $150 million.
