Onward flies to the top of the box office with $40 million
Disney has a new hit movie at the box office, and not even panic over the coronavirus could keep fans from catching Onward at the theaters. The Pixar animated film brought in an estimated $40 million at the box office, according to Comscore.
The second place spot belongs to The Invisible Man, which made an estimated $15.2 million during its second week in theaters. Rounding out the top five are The Way Back ($8.5 million), Sonic the Hedgehog ($8 million), and The Call of the Wild ($7 million).
Disney/Pixar
Onward tells the story of a pair of teenage elf brothers who set out on a quest to find out if there's still magic for a spell that will bring back their deceased father.
The brothers include Iandore "Ian" Lightfoot (voiced by Tom Holland), the younger of the siblings and is described as having low self confidence due to the lack of a father figure. His brother Barley (Chris Pratt) is passionate about role playing who is in search of a great adventure.
They live with their mother Laurel (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss), their father died of a severe illness before Ian was born.
Disney/Pixar
EW gave the film a B- saying, "Do you believe in magic? That's pretty much Pixar’s brand, though it’s never felt quite as literal, or as effortful, as it does in Onward — an elfin-eared fantasy quest whose intermittent charms never fully land on real enchantment."
Moviegoers enjoyed the movie a bit more, Cinemascore reports viewers gave the film an A-.
Richard Foreman; Jr. SMPSP/Warner Bros.
Ben Affleck leads the sports drama The Way Back in the role of Jack Cunningham, a former star high school basketball player who returns to his alma mater to coach their team. This is his chance to redeem himself, after forgoing a scholarship to the University of Kansas and struggling with alcoholism as an adult. As his new team starts to win, Cunningham is forced to face his demons.
The Gavin O'Connor-directed film co-stars Al Madrigal, Janina Gavankar, Hayes MacArthur, and Michaela Watkins.
EW gave the film a B saying, "Back might not be a great movie, but it does feel like the best thing the actor has done in a long time: a sensitive, sobering character study that nicely underplays its hand until it eventually tips over into something more like conventional melodrama. (Which even then, has its own satisfactions.)"
Moviegoers via Cinemascore gave The Way Back a B+.
Focus Features
There's a new Emma Woodhouse in town and Jane Austen would certainly approve of Anya Taylor-Joy's portrayal of her one of her most famous literary characters in Emma. Taylor-Joy takes the baton from Gwyneth Paltrow who famously portrayed the matchmaker in the 1996 theatrical film of the same name.
Set in 1800s England, Emma tells the story of a young, well-to-do woman who enjoys setting up friends and family instead of searching for her own Mr. Right. Things get messy, however, when she thinks she's found the perfect man for her friend Harriet Smith (Mia Goth) but the would-be-suiter has his heart set on someone else.
The Autumn de Wilde-directed film co-stars Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Miranda Hart, and Rupert Graves.
EW gave the film a B+ saying, "If Emma’s tart airiness is one of its principal charms, it’s also maybe its greatest flaw. Unlike Joe Wright’s 2007 Pride and Prejudice, the stakes — penury, spinsterhood, social shame — never really seem crucial for any character, even if they were very real concerns of that era (and of course this one too), particularly for women."
Moviegoers via Cinemascore gave the film a B.
Overall, the box office is down 1.5 percent year-to-date, according to Comscore. Numbers could be affected by the threat of coronavirus, with moviegoers opting to stay home instead.
Check out the March 6-8 numbers below:
Onward— $40 million
The Invisible Man—$15.5 million
The Way Back— $8.5 million
Sonic the Hedgehog — $8 million
The Call of the Wild—$7 million
Emma— $5 million
Bad Boy for Life — $3.1 million
Birds of Prey — $2.2 million
Impractical Joker: The Movie—$1.8 million
My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising —$1.5 million
Related content:
