New Warner Bros. release Aquamanmade the biggest waves in North American theaters over the weekend with $67.4 million in ticket sales, industry tracker Exhibitor Relations estimated Sunday.
That put it well ahead of two other new holiday-timed releases, as Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns took in $22.2 million for the three-day weekend, flying slightly higher than Paramount’s Bumblebee at $21 million.
Together, the three helped boost the year’s domestic box-office revenue toward a record $11.8 billion, Hollywood Reporter said.
Aquaman stars Jason Momoa in a title role infused with new swagger by director James Wan, with Variety calling Momoa’s Aquaman “a bare-chested Hawaiian super-stud with long, shaggy surfer hair and all-over tribal tattoos.”
The look seems to work: The film has already taken in some $410 million outside North America.
Mary Poppins, while lacking truly boffo opening numbers, is expected to follow past musicals in enjoying a long box-office run.
The sequel to the 1964 movie stars Emily Blunt as the stern but kind-hearted nanny (Julie Andrews in the original), backed by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame. Dick Van Dyke, Mary Poppins’ Cockney-accented friend in the original film, makes a cameo.
Bumblebee, a prequel to the Transformers movies, stars Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena. It drew a lofty 94 percent rating from Rotten Tomatoes as all three of the top grossing new movies earned strong A- ratings from CinemaScores.
In fourth was Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, taking in $16.7 million. It has Peter Parker making way for Miles Morales as a black, Latino Spider-Man.
And fifth spot went to The Mule from Warner Bros., at $9.3 million. Clint Eastwood, who at 88 says this will be his last acting part, directs and takes the lead role as a destitute 90-year-old who turns to transporting cocaine for a Mexican drug cartel.
