UNIVERSAL’S new superhero comedy “Dog Man”, based on a hugely popular series of graphic novels for kids, bounded to the top of the North American box office this weekend, analysts said Sunday.
The DreamWorks animated flick about a canine crime fighter took in an estimated US$36 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said.
The “Dog Man” books — a spinoff from the “Captain Underpants” series by author Dav Pilkey — have a huge following among young readers. A “Captain Underpants” film in 2017 grossed US$125 million worldwide on a budget of roughly one-third that amount.
Another new release, sci-fi satire “Companion,” from Warner Bros. and New Line, placed second, at US$9.5 million. Jack Quaid and Sophie Thatcher star in the story of a weekend getaway that gets weird when a group of friends learn that one guest is a “companion robot.”
The movie’s earnings in a single weekend nearly equalled its US$10 million budget, according to Variety.
Third at the box office, down one spot from last weekend, was Disney animation “Mufasa: The Lion King,” at US$6.1 million. That pushed its total ticket sales — domestic and international — past US$650 million.
Sony’s comedy “One of Them Days” placed fourth, at US$6 million. Keke Palmer and singer SZA star as roommates in Los Angeles scrambling to pay the rent after a boyfriend squanders their money.
The film, under first-time director Lawrence Lamont, has already earned US$34.5 million on a budget of just US$14 million. The Los Angeles Times called it “a treat to be gobbled up.”
And nose-diving to fifth place from last weekend’s top position was Lionsgate action movie “Flight Risk,” at US$5.6 million. Reviews have been poor for the Mel Gibson-directed film — called “minimally endurable” by the Wall Street Journal.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
“Sonic the Hedgehog 3” (US$3.2 million)
“Moana 2” (US$2.8 million)
“A Complete Unknown” (US$2.2 million)
“The Brutalist” (US$1.9 million)
“Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” (US$1.6 million) – AFP
