Box Office: 'How to Train Your Dragon 3' Stays Victorious, 'Madea Family Funeral' Scores Strong Debut
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) - After a close race for the top spot in North America, Universal and DreamWorks’ “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” pulled ahead to secure the domestic box office crown.
The final installment in the “Dragon” trilogy stayed strong, adding another $30 million in its second weekend of release. The animated adventure is just shy of the $100 million mark in North America with its domestic tally currently sitting at $97.6 million.
While “How to Train Your Dragon 3” fended off newcomers to repeat No. 1, Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Family Funeral” still had a solid start of its own. Perry bid a farewell to his long-running Madea character in the 11th and final installment in the 15-year franchise. It opened ahead of expectations, pocketing $27 million from 2,442 theaters.
“Madea Family Funeral,” which Perry directs, stars, and produces, marks the end of his partnership with Lionsgate. Like previous “Madea” entries, audiences were more receptive to the eccentric character than critics were. The film nabbed a promising A- CinemaScore, while its Rotten Tomato score is a less-enthusiastic 25 percent. Moviegoers over the age of 25 accounted for 78 percent of its opening weekend, while 67 percent of crowds were female.
Third place went to Fox’s “Alita: Battle Angel,” which earned $7 million in its third weekend of release. Warner Bros.’ “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” landed at No. 4 with $6 million, while Universal’s “Green Book” rounded out the top five, amassing $4.7 million after nabbing an Oscar for best picture last weekend.
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