LOS ANGELES — “Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch” stole all the box-office cheer this weekend, collecting a robust $66 million in the U.S. and Canada, according to preliminary estimates, while other new releases landed like lumps of coal.
The animated retelling of the children’s classic is the latest in a string of hit releases making debuts in the past couple months. Along with the performances of “Venom,” “A Star Is Born” and “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “The Grinch” is contributing to what is expected to be a record year in receipts for Hollywood.
That doesn’t mean it was good news all around. The zombie thriller “Overlord” made its debut with a weak $10.1 million, according to an estimate from its distributor, Viacom Inc.’s VIA, +0.83% Paramount Pictures. “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” the latest installment in Stieg Larsson’s crime-thriller franchise, collected a dismal $8 million. The opening likely kills any hope Sony Corp.’s SNE, -0.62% Sony Pictures Entertainment had of reviving the “Girl” franchise, which this time around features “The Crown” star Claire Foy in the title role.
“The Grinch,” released by Comcast Corp.’s CMCSA, +0.10% Universal Pictures, was produced by Illumination, the animation studio responsible for megahits like the “Despicable Me” and “Secret Life of Pets” franchises. It cost about $75 million to produce, less than most major animated releases. “It’s the kind of movie that families want to see now,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. Continued interest in the movie as the holidays ramp up should allow it to play in theaters through the end of the year, he added.
An expanded version of this report appears on WSJ.com.
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