LGF.A Lions Gate Entertainment Corp

By Erich Schwartzel 

LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood had much to be thankful for this weekend, with the sequels "Ralph Breaks the Internet" and "Creed II" leading the box office to robust holiday weekend returns.

Walt Disney Co.'s "Ralph Breaks the Internet" came in first place, collecting an estimated $84.5 million over the five-day weekend for the second-best Thanksgiving debut of all time. Disney's own "Frozen" set the record in 2013 with $93.6 million.

"Creed II," starring Michael B. Jordan in a follow-up to his "Rocky" spinoff hit, collected a strong $55.8 million, according to studio estimates. The sequel, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and AT&T Inc.'s Warner Bros., is set to outperform the original "Creed," which grossed $110 million in 2015 and earned a best supporting actor Oscar nomination for Sylvester Stallone.

The weekend's other new wide release, Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.'s "Robin Hood," starring Taron Egerton as the hero who steals from the rich to give to the poor, didn't collect much money itself. The big-budget retelling grossed a paltry $14.1 million, putting it in automatic-flop territory given its $100 million budget.

Still, the robust debuts of "Ralph" and "Creed II" made it the third-best Thanksgiving weekend for the industry in history. Holdovers "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" saw holiday bumps in business, as well.

"Ralph Breaks the Internet" is a sequel to 2012's "Wreck-It Ralph," and like "Creed II," the sequel appears poised to outperform its predecessor. "Wreck-It Ralph" grossed $189 million in the U.S. and Canada and an additional $281.8 million overseas.

Overseas returns for the sequel added $41.5 million to the opening weekend.

"Ralph Breaks the Internet" takes place in the world of cyberspace, a plot that lent itself to online marketing campaigns that drove word-of mouth, said Cathleen Taff, Disney's head of distribution.

"It's got something for everyone," she added. About two-thirds of audiences came as families, she said.

"Green Book," a feel-good family movie about a black musician (Mahershala Ali) traveling through the Jim Crow South with a New York bouncer ( Viggo Mortensen), expanded to about 1,000 theaters and collected a tepid $7.4 million over the five days.

"Green Book," released by Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, could still have a healthy run through the holidays, given its awards buzz and solid word-of-mouth.

Audiences gave "Green Book" the rare "A+," according to the CinemaScore market research firm. "Creed II" received an "A," "Ralph" got an "A-" and "Robin Hood" a "B."

Write to Erich Schwartzel at erich.schwartzel@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 25, 2018 13:54 ET (18:54 GMT)

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