LOS ANGELES 鈥� The animated family film 鈥淐oco鈥� has topped the box office for a third time on a quiet, pre 鈥淪tar Wars: The Last Jedi鈥� weekend in theatres.
Disney estimated Sunday that 鈥淐oco鈥� added $18.3 million, which would bring its domestic total to $135.5 million.
The weekend鈥檚 sole new wide release was the Morgan Freeman film 鈥淛ust Getting Started,鈥� which launched to a meagre $3.2 million from 2,161 theatres and barely made the top 10.
Most studios have chosen to avoid competing against 鈥淭he Last Jedi,鈥� which is expected to dominate theatres and moviegoer attention when it opens on Dec. 15.
Thus, most of the charts have looked quite similar for the past few weeks. Warner Bros. and DC鈥檚 鈥淛ustice League鈥� took second place with $9.6 million and Lionsgate鈥檚 sleeper hit 鈥淲onder,鈥� which has now passed $100 million, placed third with $8.5 million. Warner Bros. also crossed the $2 billion benchmark domestically Saturday 鈥� the first studio to do so in 2017.
This quiet period before 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� has allowed some of the indie and prestige titles to thrive in limited releases and expansions, like James Franco鈥檚 鈥淭he Disaster Artist.鈥� The film, about the making of one of the worst films of all time, 鈥淭he Room,鈥� expanded to 840 locations in its second weekend in theatres. It managed to bring in $6.4 million, landing it in fourth place.
Greta Gerwig鈥檚 coming-of-age film 鈥淟ady Bird鈥� also added 363 locations and placed ninth in its sixth weekend in theatres. With the $3.5 million from this weekend, 鈥淟ady Bird鈥� has netted $22.3 million.
The Guillermo del Toro-directed romantic fantasy 鈥淭he Shape of Water鈥� expanded to 41 theatres in its second weekend and earned $1.1 million.
The Tonya Harding biopic 鈥淚, Tonya鈥� launched in four locations in New York and Los Angeles and brought in a solid $245,602.
The Winston Churchill film 鈥淭he Darkest Hour鈥� and the summer romance film 鈥淐all Me By Your Name鈥� also continue to thrive in more limited releases as well.
鈥淭he Darkest Hour,鈥� which stars Gary Oldman as Churchill, earned $777,000 from 53 locations, and 鈥淐all Me By Your Name,鈥� with Armie Hammer and Timothee Chalamet, took in $291,101 from nine theatres.
鈥淭his is the best time to be a moviegoer if you鈥檙e an indie fan,鈥� said comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. 鈥淭he last few weeks have enabled films like 鈥橳he Shape of Water,鈥� 鈥橳hree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri鈥� and now 鈥橧, Tonya鈥� to really find an audience.鈥�
He added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 great time for those films ahead of the box office death star that is 鈥橲tar Wars.鈥濃��
The year is still down 4 per cent from last year, though, which is a pit that even a juggernaut like 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� might struggle to fill. The cash influx from 鈥淭he Last Jedi鈥� will be significant, nonetheless, and if the precedent of 鈥淩ogue One鈥� and 鈥淭he Force Awakens鈥� holds, it could range from $400 million to over $600 million of additional domestic revenue before the books close on 2017.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1.鈥淐oco,鈥� $18.3 million.
2.鈥淛ustice League,鈥� $9.6 million.
3.鈥淲onder,鈥� $8.5 million.
4.鈥淭he Disaster Artist,鈥� $6.4 million.
5.鈥淭hor: Ragnarok,鈥� $6.3 million.
6.鈥淒addy鈥檚 Home 2,鈥� $6 million.
7.鈥淢urder on the Orient Express,鈥� $5.1 million.
8.鈥淭he Star,鈥� $3.7 million.
9.鈥淟ady Bird,鈥� $3.5 million.
10.鈥淛ust Getting Started,鈥� $3.2 million.
