Box office: Doctor Strange and his sorcery reign supreme

A supernatural superhero reigned supreme at the box office this weekend, while films aimed at younger and older audiences also did well in their box-office debuts.

Doctor Strange, the fourteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, grossed an estimated $84.9 million between Thursday and Sunday nights.

That’s the third-best opening for an MCU non-sequel, behind Guardians of the Galaxy ($94.3 million) and the original Iron Man ($98.6 million).¹ It also nearly ties the opening for Thor: The Dark World ($85.7 million), which is the only other MCU film besides this one to be released outside of the spring or summer seasons.

Doctor Strange has also, in one weekend, become the top-grossing film of director Scott Derrickson’s career, beating the $79.4 million that the 2008 remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still made during its entire North American theatrical run.

This weekend’s earnings also represent a career-best opening for all six of the film’s above-the-line stars (listed here with their previous personal bests):

• Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013, $73.6 million)
• Tilda Swinton (the Ancient One), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005, $65.6 million)
• Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mordo), 2012 (2009, $65.2 million)
• Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer), Sherlock Holmes (2009, $62.3 million)
• Mads Mikkelsen (Kaecilius), Clash of the Titans (2010, $61.2 million)
• Benedict Wong (Wong), The Martian (2015, $54.3 million)

Doctor Strange was also released overseas a week ago, and in its first two weeks it has earned $240.4 million internationally for a global total of $325.4 million.

Turning to films that are aimed at younger and older demographics, Trolls landed in second place with an estimated $45.6 million — about average for a DreamWorks cartoon these days — while the R-rated Hacksaw Ridge landed in third place with $14.8 million, a modest but decent start for the awards-season hopeful.

Finding Dory also passed a new milestone this week as it inched past $1.024 billion worldwide, thus passing Zootopia to become the year’s top-grossing animated film and the second-highest-grossing film overall (behind Captain America: Civil War). It is still well behind Zootopia overseas, though (see below for more details).

Meanwhile, in other box-office news…

Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween earned $7.8 million and ranked fourth in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $64.9 million. The film has earned another $645,627 overseas for a global total of $65.6 million.

Inferno earned $6.3 million and ranked fifth in its second week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $26.1 million. The film has earned another $159.3 million overseas for a global total of $185.4 million.

The Accountant earned $5.9 million and ranked sixth in its fourth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $70.9 million. The film has earned another $38.5 million overseas for a global total of $109.4 million.

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back earned $5.6 million and ranked seventh in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $49.2 million. The film has earned another $62.7 million overseas for a global total of $111.9 million.

Ouija: Origin of Evil earned $3.9 million and ranked eighth in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $31.4 million. The film has earned another $33.1 million overseas for a global total of $64.5 million.

The Girl on the Train earned $2.8 million and ranked ninth in its fifth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $70.7 million. The film has earned another $69.9 million overseas for a global total of $140.6 million.

And Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children earned $2.1 million and ranked tenth in its sixth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $83.3 million. The film has earned another $170.1 million overseas for a global total of $253.5 million.

Now for a bit of extra data on the year’s top-grossing animated films:

In North America, The Secret Life of Pets still ranks eighth among animated films:

• 2016 — Finding Dory (Pixar) — $485.9 million
• 2004 — Shrek 2 (DreamWorks) — $441.2 million
• 1994 — The Lion King (Disney) — $422.8 million
• 2010 — Toy Story 3 (Pixar) — $415.0 million
• 2013 — Frozen (Disney) — $400.7 million
• 2003 — Finding Nemo (Pixar) — $380.8 million
• 2013 — Despicable Me 2 (Universal) — $368.1 million
• 2016 — The Secret Life of Pets (Universal) — $366.5 million
• 2015 — Inside Out (Pixar) — $356.5 million
• 2016 — Zootopia (Disney) — $341.3 million

Overseas, Finding Dory still ranks 10th while The Secret Life of Pets now ranks 13th:

• 2013 — Frozen (Disney) — $875.7 million
• 2015 — Minions (Universal) — $823.4 million
• 2012 — Ice Age: Continental Drift (Fox) — $715.9 million
• 2009 — Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Fox) — $690.1 million
• 2016 — Zootopia (Disney) — $682.4 million
• 2010 — Toy Story 3 (Pixar) — $648.2 million
• 2013 — Despicable Me 2 (Universal) — $602.7 million
• 2003 — Finding Nemo (Pixar) — $559.5 million
• 1994 — The Lion King (Disney) — $545.7 million
• 2016 — Finding Dory (Pixar) — $538.1 million
• 2012 — Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (DreamWorks) — $530.5 million
• 2010 — Shrek Forever After (DreamWorks) — $513.9 million
• 2016 — The Secret Life of Pets (Universal) — $504.0 million
• 2015 — Inside Out (Pixar) — $501.1 million
• 2011 — Kung Fu Panda 2 (DreamWorks) — $500.4 million
• 2004 — Shrek 2 (DreamWorks) — $478.6 million
• 2007 — Shrek the Third (DreamWorks) — $476.2 million
• 2013 — Monsters University (Pixar) — $475.7 million
• 2006 — Ice Age: The Meltdown (Fox) — $465.6 million
• 2014 — How to Train Your Dragon 2 (DreamWorks) — $444.5 million

And worldwide, Finding Dory now ranks fourth and The Secret Life of Pets still ranks 12th:

• 2013 — Frozen (Disney) — $400.7 + 875.7 = 1276.5 million
• 2015 — Minions (Universal) — $336.0 + 823.4 = 1159.4 million
• 2010 — Toy Story 3 (Pixar) — $415.0 + 648.2 = 1063.2 million
• 2016 — Finding Dory (Pixar) — $485.9 + 538.1 = 1024.0 million
• 2016 — Zootopia (Disney) — $341.3 + 682.4 = 1023.6 million
• 2013 — Despicable Me 2 (Universal) — $368.1 + 602.7 = 970.8 million
• 1994 — The Lion King (Disney) — $422.8 + 545.7 = 968.5 million
• 2003 — Finding Nemo (Pixar) — $380.8 + 559.5 = 940.3 million
• 2004 — Shrek 2 (DreamWorks) — $441.2 + 478.6 = 919.8 million
• 2009 — Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (Fox) — $196.6 + 690.1 = 886.7 million
• 2012 — Ice Age: Continental Drift (Fox) — $161.3 + 715.9 = 877.2 million
• 2016 — The Secret Life of Pets (Universal) — $366.5 + 504.0 = 870.5 million
• 2015 — Inside Out (Pixar) — $356.5 + 501.1 = 857.6 million
• 2007 — Shrek the Third (DreamWorks) — $322.7 + 476.2 = 799.0 million
• 2010 — Shrek Forever After (DreamWorks) — $238.7 + 513.9 = 752.6 million
• 2012 — Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (DreamWorks) — $216.4 + 530.5 = 746.9 million
• 2013 — Monsters University (Pixar) — $268.5 + 475.7 = 744.2 million
• 2009 — Up (Pixar) — $293.0 + 442.1 = 735.1 million
• 2011 — Kung Fu Panda 2 (DreamWorks) — $165.2 + 500.4 = 665.7 million
• 2006 — Ice Age: The Meltdown (Fox) — $195.3 + 465.6 = 660.9 million

Next week brings us Arrival, Almost Christmas and Shut In.

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1. For the purposes of this discussion, the original Avengers was basically a mega-sequel, given that all of its major characters — heroes and villains alike — had been featured in earlier films.