“Rogue One” rules over New Year's weekend
New Year's kicked off with familiar favorites, with “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Sing” dominating the domestic box office. Both films have emerged as the biggest hits of the holiday season.
The “Star Wars” spinoff topped the box office, just as it has since opening three weeks ago. “Rogue One” racked up $64.3 million for the four-day holiday weekend, pushing its North American total to $439.7 million, putting it in second place among last year's highest-grossing domestic releases. Globally, “Rogue One” has made $774.9 million through Sunday, with China, the world's second-largest film market, yet to open.
Disney, which released “Rogue One” through its Lucasfilm banner, has four of the year's top five domestic earners, including “Finding Dory”, which was the highest-grossing stateside film with $486.3 million. “Rogue One” is the first of several planned spinoff films that will exist outside of the main Skywalker family saga. Disney is also readying a film about Han Solo's origins, with Alden Ehrenreich poised to inherit Harrison Ford's blaster.
“Sing,” an animated story about a talent competition involving animals, picked up $56.4 million, bringing the film's domestic total to $180 million. “Sing” is the latest offering from Illumination and Universal. The partners have previously collaborated on “Despicable Me” and last summer's hit, “The Secret Life of Pets”. “Sing” features vocal work from Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane, and Taron Egerton, as well as music from the likes of Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Stevie Wonder.
In third place was “Passengers”, a science-fiction romance with Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence.
The end of the year also played host to a slew of awards seekers. Paramount's “Fences” scored among the adult dramas flooding theatres. The August Wilson adaptation is generating Oscar buzz for star and director Denzel Washington, as well as for Viola Davis. Both actors appeared in an acclaimed 2010 Broadway revival of the play. Lionsgate's “La La Land” is a hit with critics and audiences. The musical reunites Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, who previously appeared together memorably in “Crazy Stupid Love” and less so in “Gangster Squad”. Along with “Manchester by the Sea” and “Moonlight,” “La La Land” is seen as a leading contender for a best picture statue at the upcoming Academy Awards.
Source: Variety