LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — “Aquaman” displayed a powerful kick in North American theaters over the weekend, taking in an estimated $52.1 million to help close a record year for the movie sector, final figures showed Wednesday.
With hunky and heavily tattooed Jason Momoa in the lead role, the Warner Bros. film has grossed nearly $750 million globally. It earned $52.1 million in its second weekend.
Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” gained altitude in its second weekend, taking in $28.4 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period.
The follow-up to the 1964 movie stars Emily Blunt as the stern but kind-hearted nanny, backed by the amiable Lin-Manuel Miranda of “Hamilton” fame.
In third was Paramount’s “Bumblebee,” a prequel to the “Transformers” movies, starring Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena, at $20.9 million.
The Washington Post credits the film with rising above earlier editions in the franchise to show “humor, emotion and a surprising amount of heart.”
Fourth place went to Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” at $18.8 million. The film has drawn rave reviews — with a 97 score on the Rotten Tomatoes website — and has netted a Golden Globe nomination as best animated picture.
In fifth was “The Mule” from Warner Bros., at $12.2 million. Clint Eastwood directs and takes the lead role — his last acting part, he has said — as a destitute 90-year-old who turns to transporting cocaine for a drug cartel.
Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were:
“Vice” ($7.8 million)
“Holmes & Watson” ($7.4 million)
“Second Act” ($7.4 million)
“Ralph Breaks the Internet” ($6.7 million)
“Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch” ($4.1 million)
“Mary Queen of Scots” ($2.7 million)
© Agence France-Presse