Box Office: ‘Encanto,’ ‘Ghostbusters’ Lead Quiet Post-Holiday Weekend

Walt Disney Animation’s original musical animated adventure Encanto led the post-Thanksgiving session at the box office, which is always a quiet weekend following the holiday. This year was further complicated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and concerns about the new omicron variant.

Encanto, featuring original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, grossed $12.7 million from 3,980 theaters in its second weekend for a domestic total of $58 million and $58.1 million overseas — where omicron is more of a concern — for a global cume of $116.1 million. The pic is setting records in parts of Latin America, where it has earned $5.9 million in Colombia, the film’s No. 1 foreign market behind France ($6.5 million).

Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife followed closely in second place with an estimated $10.2 million from 4,059 locations as it jumped the century mark for a domestic cume of $102.2 million through Sunday. Internationally, the family-friendly film earned another $13.1 million from 53 markets for a foreign cume of $42.9 million and $145.1 million globally. On Sunday, Sony was also celebrating huge presale numbers for its upcoming Spider-Man: Far From Home, which rolls out in mid-December.

Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci solidified its place in the year-end holiday box office and awards lineup with $6.8 million from 3,477 cinemas in its second weekend for a domestic tally of $33.6 million for MGM and United Artists Releasing. The adult drama stars Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto and Al Pacino.

Overseas, House of Gucci sewed up another $14.8 million from 60 markets for a foreign tally of $33.6 million and $67.2 million globally. The U.K. leads with $7 million.

While there were no new wide studio releases, Fathom’s special event showing of the faith-based Christmas With The Chosen: The Messengers did record business, grossing an estimated $9 million in its first five days from 1,642 theaters, including $4.1 for the weekend to place No. 4 (the film opened on Wednesday). Fathom says it was the biggest opening in the company’s history.

The Chosen, about the birth of Jesus, did especially well in America’s heartland.

Marvel and Disney’s Eternals placed No. 5 in its fifth weekend with $3.9 million from 3,980 theaters for a domestic tally of $156.5 million; add $227.6 million overseas for a worldwide total approaching $400 million ($384.3 million).

Sony and Screen Gems’ Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City earned $2.7 million from 2,803 sites in its second weekend for a domestic total of $13.2 million and $24.3 million globally. The reboot fell to No. 6.

Warner Bros.’ biographical drama and awards hopeful King Richard took an even bigger tumble to place No. 9 in its third outing with $1.2 million from 2,654 theaters for a domestic total of $13.4 million. The major caveat: King Richard is available in the home via HBO Max.

At the specialty box office, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza, which MGM and United Artists are playing exclusively in four theaters in New York and Los Angeles, did nicely in its sophomore outing with a per-theater average of $56,000. Over Thanksgiving, the movie posted a pandemic-era best average of $84,000.

Fresh off its Gotham Award for best international feature and its New York Film Critics Circle win for best film, Sideshow and Janus Films’ Drive My Car grossed an estimated $27,300 in its second weekend for a per-theater average of $6,825.

Further marking the return of the New York-Los Angeles launch for indie films, Neon opened animated documentary Flee in four theaters for a per-location average of $6,258. The film won top honors at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.

In Los Angeles, Utopia’s polarizing The Scary of Sixty-First opened exclusively in 35mm runs at the American Cinematheque’s Los Feliz 3, grossing $8,108 from 10 p.m. showtimes.

Focus Features took a wider approach with Wolf, which debuted to $80,000 from 308 locations for a per-theater average of $261.

IFC Films opened Paul Verhoeven’s Benedetta in 202 theaters across the country. The film, which last week made the National Board of Review’s list of top five best foreign-language films, posted a per-location average of $719.

Elsewhere, Sony reported sold-out sneak screenings of director Denzel Washington’s A Journal for Jordan, starring Michael B. Jordan and Chanté Adams. The film officially opens in cinemas on Dec. 25.

Dec. 5, 9:30 a.m. Updated with revised numbers for Christmas With the Chosen: The Messenger.