Box Office: Pixar’s ‘Onward’ Conjuring $40 Million in North American Opening

Dave McNary
·3 min read

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Disney-Pixar’s fantasy film “Onward” is dominating North American moviegoing this weekend, opening with $40 million at 4,310 locations, estimates showed on Saturday.

The figure is at the low end of pre-release forecasts, which had pegged “Onward” for a launch in the $40-45 million range. The movie centers on a pair of teenage elf brothers — voiced by Chris Pratt and Tom Holland — on a quest to resurrect their deceased father with a magical staff. Opening day audiences gave “Onward” an A- Cinemascore.

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“Onward” is delivering results in the same neighborhood as Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur,” which opened with $39 million in North America and finished its run with $123 million domestically and $332 million in worldwide box office for the lowest total of Pixar’s 21 titles. “Onward” is the first Pixar movie to debut during the March/early spring corridor; all other Pixar titles have been released in the summer or November.

Internationally, the film is opened the same day in many territories, other than Italy, South Korea and China, where the coronavirus crisis has hit hardest. Several Middle Eastern countries have banned the film due to a reference to a lesbian relationship.

Universal’s sophomore frame of Elisabeth Moss’ modern-day “The Invisible Man,” which has performed above expectations, will finish second with about $14 million in a 49% decline from its opening. The low-cost horror-thriller will finish the weekend with about $52 million in 10 days.

Ben Affleck’s sports drama “The Way Back” is also performing in line with modest forecasts and is projected to finish third with around $8.5 million at 2,718 venues for the weekend. The sports drama sees Affleck portraying an alcoholic construction worker who becomes the coach of a high school basketball team. The film received a B+ Cinemascore.

The fourth weekend of Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog” will likely finish behind “The Way Back” for fourth place with around $8 million at 3,717 sites. “Sonic” will top $141 million in North America this weekend.

The third weekend of Disney-Fox’s “The Call of the Wild” will follow in fifth in the $7 million range at 3,914 locations. The costly Harrison Ford adventure will finish the weekend with about $58 million in its first 17 days.

Focus Features’ expansion of Jane Austen adaptation “Emma,” starring Anya Taylor-Joy, will wind up in sixth with about $5 million at 1,565 sites. The comedy-drama, set in the early 19th century with Emma Woodhouse interfering in her friends’ love lives, also stars Johnny Flynn, Josh O’Connor, Callum Turner, Mia Goth, Miranda Hart and Bill Nighy.

Sony’s eighth weekend of action comedy “Bad Boys for Life” will finish seventh with about $3 million at 2,159 venues. The third iteration of the Will Smith-Martin Lawrence franchise is crossing the $200 million mark at the North American box office this weekend.

Warner Bros.’ fifth weekend of “Birds of Prey” is heading for eighth place with $2.2 million at 2,173 sites. The Margot Robbie vehicle will top $82 million in domestic grosses this weekend.

TruTV’s third weekend of reality comedy “Impractical Jokers: The Movie” followed in ninth with $1.9 million at 1,725 locations. A pair of holdovers were battling for 10th place at about $1.4 million — Sony’s 13th weekend of “Jumanji: The Next Level” and Universal’s 11th weekend of “1917.”

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