Universal has finished off a strong third quarter of 2019 at the box office with “Abominable,” the co-production between DreamWorks Animation and China’s Pearl Studio that earned a solid $20.8 million opening weekend from 4,242 screens.
This is the second straight year that a Yeti-themed animated film has hit theaters at the end of September. Last year, that offering was Warner Bros.’ “Smallfoot,” which opened to $23 million and went on to gross $83 million domestic and $214 million worldwide. “Abominable” has the word of mouth needed to post similar numbers — 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A on CinemaScore — but will face competition for family audiences down the line with “The Addams Family” and “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” which open Oct. 10 and Oct. 17 respectively.
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Overseas, “Abominable” added $10.2 million from 30 territories. China is not included in this total, as Pearl Studio is handling distribution as part of a deal that also saw the animation outlet co-finance the movie’s $70 million budget.
Overall, this has been a solid two months for Universal, with “Hobbs & Shaw” passing $750 million in global grosses this past weekend, while “Abominable” and “Good Boys” joined fellow studio release “Us” as the only three original films to open to No. 1 on the box office charts.
And while Focus Features is not officially counted towards the studio’s $1.12 billion annual domestic total, the Universal indie wing is continuing to do well with “Downton Abbey,” grossing $14.5 million in its second weekend to bring its 10-day domestic total to $58.5 million. Counting “Downton,” eight Universal films have topped the charts so far this year.
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The other big release this weekend was Roadside Attractions’ “Judy,” a biopic about the final month of Judy Garland’s career that is earning awards buzz for lead star Renee Zellweger. Released on 461 screens, the film took the No. 7 spot on this weekend’s charts with $3.1 million for an approximate per screen average of $6,725. Reception for the film has been strong with an 83% Rotten Tomatoes critics score and a 93% audience score.
In third is STX’s “Hustlers,” which just beat out second-weekend holdovers “Rambo: Last Blood” and “Ad Astra” with $11.5 million in its third weekend. Women are continuing to turn out for Lorene Scafaria’s film, as it now holds an $80 million cume. If and when it hits $100 million, 2019 will become the first ever year in which STX had two films hit that milestone, with the other being the Bryan Cranston/Kevin Hart dramedy “The Upside.”
Fox’s “Ad Astra” and Warner Bros./New Line’s “It: Chapter Two” complete the top five, both with approximately $10 million grossed this weekend. “Chapter Two” is being given the edge on current charts with $10.2 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its domestic total to $193 million and its global total to $414 million. “Ad Astra” has a 10-day total of $35 million and a global total of $89 million against a reported budget of $80 million before reshoots.
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Sitting between “Ad Astra” and “Judy” at No. 6 is Lionsgate’s “Rambo: Last Blood” with $8.5 million, dropping 55% from the action film’s $18.8 million opening. Its 10-day total of $33.1 million is slightly ahead of the raw $29.9 million grossed by the last “Rambo” film in 2008, though that figure comes to $37.5 million after inflation adjustment.
Next weekend will see the release of the much-publicized “Joker,” which won the Golden Lion at Venice but has been beset by headlines about military advisories warning of possible alt-right violence inspired by the film. It was also announced that it will not be screened at the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, where 12 people were killed in a 2012 mass shooting during a midnight screening of “The Dark Knight Rises.”
Despite this, analysts still project an $80 million-plus opening for the R-rated film, which would top the October opening weekend record set last year by “Venom” at $80.2 million.
30 Highest Grossing Animated Movies of All Time Worldwide
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A look at top animated moneymakers as of September 2019, from “The Lion King” to “Zootopia.” The numbers are not adjusted for inflation.
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30. “Kung Fu Panda” (2008)
Worldwide Gross: $631,744,560
The success of Jack Black’s 2008 martial arts-meet-spongy mammal movie set into motion its inevitable — and even more profitable — sequel.
Dreamworks Animation Studios
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29. “The Incredibles” (2004)
Worldwide Gross: $633,019,734
In 2004, Brad Bird’s first Pixar outing wowed audiences with complicated animated action scenes, cross-generational comedy and superhero mayhem.
Pixar Animation Studios
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28. “Sing” (2016)
Worldwide Gross: $634,151,679
Illumination’s animal-karaoke musical crooned its way onto the list.
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27. “Moana” (2016)
Worldwide Gross: $643,331,111
Disney’s Hawaii-set movie scored two Oscar nominations, for Best Animated Feature and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s song “How Far I’ll Go.”
Disney
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26. “Big Hero 6” (2014)
Worldwide Gross: $657,818,612
Disney’s 2014 robot tale combined anime aesthetics, superhero action and Pixar’s heart.
Disney Animation Studios
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25. “Ice Age: The Meltdown” (2006)
Worldwide Gross: $660,940,780
Fox’s 2006 prehistoric romp proved the success of the first was no fluke.
Twentieth Century Fox
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24. “Kung Fu Panda 2” (2011)
Worldwide Gross: $665,692,281
With the franchise’s skills proven, DreamWorks Animation gave the world another hit of comedy with this animated martial arts sequel in 2011.
Dreamworks Animation Studios
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23. “Up” (2009)
Worldwide Gross: $735,099,082
The 2009 fan favorite demonstrated that original ideas with big emotions could make big money.
Pixar Animation Studios
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22. “Monsters University” (2013)
Worldwide Gross: $744,229,437
Ten years after the release of “Monsters Inc,” Pixar sent fans back to school in a 2013 prequel.
Pixar Animation Studios
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21. “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted” (2012)
Worldwide Gross: $746,921,274
DreamWorks Animation’s “Madagascar” series kept the studio afloat with a string of breezy successes, including 2012’s third installment.
Dreamworks Animation Studios
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20. “Shrek Forever After” (2010)
Worldwide Gross: $752,600,867
The big green ogre’s final chapter dropped in 2010.
Dreamworks Animation Studio
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19. “Shrek the Third” (2007)
Worldwide Gross: $798,958,162
Made in 2007, this sequel proved there was still some gas left in this fantasy mash-up comedy franchise.
Dreamworks Animation Studio
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18. “Coco” (2017)
Worldwide Gross: $807,082,196
Directed by Lee Unkrich, this animated film captured everyone’s hearts and even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2018.
Disney/Pixar
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17. “Inside Out” (2015)
Worldwide Gross: $857,611,174
Disney Pixar hit the home run again with this animated feature film about the emotions inside your head, starring Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Bill Hader.
Disney/Pixar
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16. “The Secret Life of Pets” (2016)
Worldwide Gross:$875,457,937
Universal/Illumination’s story of dogs seeking out adventure while their owners are away charmed its way onto the list.
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15. “Ice Age: Continental Drift” (2012)
Worldwide Gross: $877,244,782
Profits abound for this 2012 fourth installment in the chilly prehistoric franchise, followed just behind it’s predecessor.
Twentieth Century Fox Animation
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14.”Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” (2009)
Worldwide Gross: $888,805,671
While other films have made bigger waves in the States, international sales have always returned big money for Fox’s “Ice Age” franchise, proven again by the 2009 entry.
Twentieth Century Fox Animation
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13. “Shrek 2” (2004)
Worldwide Gross: $919,838,758
DreamWorks Animation proved to be worthy Pixar competition with its successful “Shrek” franchise.
Dreamworks Animation Studio
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12. “Finding Nemo” (2003)
Worldwide Gross: $940,335,536
“Finding Nemo” was something of a second-wind for Pixar, solidifying the company’s place as the titans of modern animation.
Pixar Studios
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11. “The Lion King” (1994)
Worldwide Gross: $968,483,777
Can you feel the love tonight for this Disney animated classic?
Disney Animation Studios
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10. “Despicable Me 2” (2013)
Worldwide Gross: $970,761,885
Illumination’s sequel managed to make more money than its predecessor and put the upcoming “Minions” spin-off into motion.
Illumination Studios
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9. “Zootopia” (2016)
Worldwide Gross: $1,023,784,195
Disney charmed audiences in 2016 with its cop thriller pairing a rookie rabbit cop and a wily fox informant.
Disney
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8. “Finding Dory” (2016)
Worldwide Gross: $1,028,570,889
The sequel to “Finding Nemo” swam right back into audience’s hearts.
Pixar
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7. “Despicable Me 3” (2017)
Worldwide Gross: $1,034,799,409
Illumination’s follow-up — featuring Gru’s blond-haired brother — became the franchise’s biggest grosser.
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6. “Toy Story 4” (2019)
Worldwide Gross: $1,061,928,660
Disney
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5. “Toy Story 3” (2010)
Worldwide Gross: $1,066,969,703
Built on Pixar’s critical and commercial goodwill, the third installment in the mega-franchise brought in big profits.
Pixar Studios
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4. “Minions” (2015)
Worldwide Gross: $1,159,398,397
The little yellow helpers crossed the $1 billion mark at the end of August, raking in more money then “Despicable Me” and “Despicable Me 2” for Universal Pictures.
Universal Pictures/Illumination Entertainment
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3. “Incredibles 2” (2018)
Worldwide Gross: $1,242,805,359
The superpowered family sprung back into action a full 14 years after the original — but far surpassed the original film’s box office haul.
Disney/Pixar
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2. “Frozen” (2013)
Worldwide Gross: $1,276,480,335
Disney’s 2013 smash-hit takes the box office top spot. And then there was merchandising, video on demand and home video that audiences just couldn’t let go…
Disney Animation Studios
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1. The Lion King (2019)
Worldwide Gross: $1,631,724,000
Whether the film is animated or live-action has been up for debate, the new “Lion King” was computer animated, so we’re putting it on the list.
Disney
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Cartoon characters that cleaned up at the global box office, from “The Lion King” to “Incredibles 2”
A look at top animated moneymakers as of September 2019, from “The Lion King” to “Zootopia.” The numbers are not adjusted for inflation.
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