‘Wakanda Forever’ reigns supreme at Thanksgiving box office as ‘Strange World’ flops
Updated: Now
Anchor Bay’s “Wakanda Forever” is the clear winner at the box office on Thursday, earning $37 million in the three-day period between Thanksgiving and Monday, ending a string of first-week debuts by newcomers including Lionsgate’s “Stranger Things” and Universal’s “In the Heart of the Sea.”
Wakanda Forever, the upcoming film directed by Tarsem Singh, was No. 3 in per-screen average for the frame, according to an NPD Group-generated report Thursday.
That comes as “In the Heart of the Sea” dropped to No. 4 for the period in its second straight weekend to come in above “Ghost in the Shell” to earn $40 million.
“Strange World” added $40 million to its total haul after an $8.3 million Friday, bringing its three-day total to around $80 million.
“In the Heart of the Sea,” the big-budget adventure also directed by Steven Spielberg, landed No. 6 in the per-screen average, the group said.
“Strange World,” which had grossed less than $6 million since opening on Oct. 29, had a bigger opening than the studio hoped.
The top two films in terms of total three-day grosses were also from the Disney and Fox brands, with “The Lion King” and “Ouija: Origin of Evil” each adding $25 million. The animated sequel earned $31 million during its first three days, a weekend debut that came in behind “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “The Smurfs 2.”
“Ghost in the Shell,” the Japanese anime film about a giant robot who disguises himself as the human race, added $25 million with a week to burn.
The top five films in the three-day period are as follows:
Ouija: Origin of Evil, $26.4 million
The Lion King, $25 million
Ouija: Origin of Evil, $20 million
The Smurfs 2,