Box office: The Star has one of the best holds of the week

The Star had one of the best holds in a slow weekend at the box office.

The animated film — which tells the story of the Nativity from the animals’ point of view — was one of a few major films that added, rather than lost, theatres this week.

The film, which is now in its fourth week of theatrical release, grossed an estimated $3.7 million between Friday and Sunday, a slide of only 9.9% from the previous week — easily the best hold percentage-wise of any film that was in wide release both weeks.

The film also ranked 8th for the weekend, which is up a notch from its 9th-place rank last weekend. With just two weeks to go until Christmas, there is a good possibility that The Star could stay in the top ten until the holiday it was made for.

Among “faith-based” films, The Star had the ninth- or tenth-best first, second and third weekends. But this week, it had the eighth-best fourth weekend of the bunch:

1. 2004 — The Passion of the Christ — $19.4 million
2. 2014 — Heaven Is for Real — $7.5 million
3. 2015 — War Room — $6.2 million
4. 2014 — God’s Not Dead — $5.5 million
5. 2006 — The Nativity Story — $5.0 million
6. 2016 — Miracles from Heaven — $4.7 million
7. 2017 — The Shack — $3.9 million
8. 2017 — The Star — $3.7 million
9. 2011 — Soul Surfer — $3.4 million
10. 2002 — Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie — $2.8 million

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The Star has earned $32.3 million in total after twenty-four days, and it thus now ranks 13th among “faith-based” films in terms of total North American gross…

1. 2004 — The Passion of the Christ — $370.8 million
2. 2014 — Heaven Is for Real — $91.4 million
3. 2015 — War Room — $67.8 million
4. 2016 — Miracles from Heaven — $61.7 million
5. 2014 — God’s Not Dead — $60.8 million
6. 2014 — Son of God — $59.7 million
7. 2017 — The Shack — $57.4 million
8. 2011 — Soul Surfer — $43.9 million
9. 2006 — The Nativity Story — $37.6 million
10. 2016 — Risen — $36.9 million
11. 2011 — Courageous — $34.5 million
12. 2008 — Fireproof — $33.5 million
13. 2017 — The Star — $32.3 million
14. 2014 — When the Game Stands Tall — $30.1 million

…and 10th among Bible-themed films released in the past 40 years:

1. 2004 — The Passion of the Christ — $370.8 million
2. 1998 — The Prince of Egypt — $101.4 million
3. 2014 — Noah — $101.2 million
4. 2014 — Exodus: Gods and Kings — $65 million
5. 2014 — Son of God — $59.7 million
6. 2017 — The Shack — $57.4 million
7. 2009 — Year One — $43.3 million
8. 2006 — The Nativity Story — $37.6 million
9. 2016 — Risen — $36.9 million
10. 2017 — The Star — $32.3 million
11. 1981 — History of the World, Part I — $31.7 million
12. 2016 — Hail, Caesar! — $30.5 million
13. 2016 — Ben-Hur — $26.4 million
14. 2002 — Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie — $25.6 million
15. 1979 — Monty Python’s Life of Brian — $20 million
16. 1980 — Wholly Moses! — $14.2 million
17. 2006 — One Night with the King — $13.4 million
18. 1988 — The Last Temptation of Christ — $8.4 million
19. 2016 — The Young Messiah — $6.5 million
20. 1985 — King David — $5.1 million
21. 2003 — The Gospel of John — $4.1 million

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Meanwhile, in other box-office news…

Coco earned $18.3 million and ranked first in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $135.5 million. The film has earned another $254 million overseas, for a global total of $389.5 million.

Justice League earned $9.6 million and ranked second in its fourth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $212.1 million. The film has earned another $401.3 million overseas, for a global total of $613.4 million.

Wonder earned $8.5 million and ranked third in its fourth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $100.3 million. The film has earned another $29.3 million overseas, for a global total of $129.6 million.

The Disaster Artist earned $6.4 million and ranked fourth in its second week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $8 million. The film has earned another $1.7 million overseas, for a global total of $9.7 million.

Thor: Ragnarok earned $6.3 million and ranked fifth in its sixth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $301.2 million. The film has earned another $532 million overseas, for a global total of $833.2 million.

Daddy’s Home 2 earned $6 million and ranked sixth in its fifth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $91.2 million. The film has earned another $51.2 million overseas, for a global total of $142.4 million.

Murder on the Orient Express earned $5.1 million and ranked seventh in its fifth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $92.7 million. The film has earned another $182 million overseas, for a global total of $274.7 million.

Lady Bird earned $3.5 million and ranked ninth in its sixth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $22.3 million. It does not appear to have been released overseas yet.

And Just Getting Started earned $3.2 million and ranked tenth in its first week. It does not appear to have been released overseas yet either.

Next week brings us Ferdinand and a little film called Star Wars: The Last Jedi.