Box Office Report: ‘Aquaman’ Swims Past ‘Bumblebee’ and ‘Mary Poppins Returns’

Warner Bros Pictures’ Aquaman finished in first over a crowded box office weekend. Not even one of the best reviewed films of the robot shape-shifting Transformers franchise could hold off Jason Momoa as the underwater superhero. Audiences gave Aquaman an A- score according to Cinemascore, and it’s just barely holding onto a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

While Aquaman matched its pre-release estimates, Universal’s Welcome to Marwen absolutely bombed during its first three days in theaters. Welcome to Marwen starring Oscar nominee Steve Carell (Foxcatcher) and directed by Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) was slammed by critics and audiences apparently weren’t thrilled with the PG-13 drama either. Welcome to Marwen currently has a rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics calling it “gooey dreck” (US Weekly) and “an inexcusable, tone-deaf misfire” (MovieFreak.com).

Disney’s long-awaited sequel to Mary Poppins got an early jump on the pre-Christmas weekend, opening in 4,000+ theaters on December 19th. Mary Poppins Returns‘ five day domestic gross of $31 million included $22 million over the December 21st weekend. Audiences embraced the lively musical, awarding it the same grade as Aquaman.

Up next: Vice starring Christian Bale as Dick Cheney opens in theaters on Christmas Day. Holmes and Watson starring Talladega Nights and Step Brothers co-stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly also enters theaters on December 25th.

Box Office Top 10: December 21-23, 2018

1. Aquaman – $67,400,000
2. Mary Poppins Returns – $22,235,000
3. Bumblebee – $21,000,000
4. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – $16,700,000
5. The Mule – $17,210,000
6. The Grinch – $8,180,000
7. Second Act – $6,501,000
8. Ralph Breaks the Internet – $4,599,000
9. Welcome to Marwen – $2,358,000
10. Mary Queen of Scots – $2,240,000

The Aquaman Plot:

“From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be…a king.”