LOS ANGELES, March 9, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – As the film industry warily watched
for any impact from the coronavirus, new Pixar animation “Onward” topped the
North American box office this weekend, but with one of the lowest starts of
any Pixar/Disney film.
The family-oriented movie took in an estimated $40 million for the Friday-
to-Sunday period, somewhat below projections, industry watcher Exhibitor
Relations reported.
Its international take of $28 million was also well under expectations. But
as Variety noted, the virus has had a sharp impact around the globe, with
many theaters closed in such major markets as China and South Korea.
Media analyst Paul Dergarabedian said that while overall US viewership was
down for the weekend, the virus seemed to have had “zero impact” there.
“Onward” has received positive reviews, with an 86-point score on the
Rotten Tomatoes website. It tells the story of two teenage elves (voiced by
Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) who go on a quest to find the magic that might
help bring back their late father.
In second place, down one spot from last week, was Universal’s thriller
“The Invisible Man,” at $15.2 million. Elisabeth Moss plays the ex-girlfriend
of a man (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) who seems to return to haunt her after
supposedly committing suicide.
Warner Bros.’ new sports drama “The Way Back” opened in third place, taking
in $8.5 million. Ben Affleck, who has spoken frankly about his own struggles
with drinking, has drawn critical praise for his portrayal of an alcoholic
construction worker who is called on to coach the basketball team at his
former high school.
Fourth place went to Paramount’s adventure comedy “Sonic the Hedgehog,” at
$8 million. Jim Carrey stars (though not as the title character) in the video
game-based film.
And in fifth spot was 20th Century’s “The Call of the Wild,” with Harrison
Ford, at $7 million. The story is loosely based on the Jack London classic of
survival in the far North.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
“Emma” ($5 million)
“Bad Boys for Life” ($3.1 million)
“Birds of Prey” ($2.2 million)
“Impractical Jokers: The Movie” ($1.8 million)
“My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising” ($1.5 million)