Weekend Box Office Report: March 8-10, 2019

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Captain Marvel blasts the box office!

Marvel's noble warrior hero CAPTAIN MARVEL zoomed into theaters this weekend and blew up the box office with an estimated opening of $153 million!

Brie Larson's pilot-turned-space soldier had the second-best opening for all solo superhero introductions (both Marvel and DC), behind the $202 million start of last year's BLACK PANTHER.

The powerful Starforce member's journey of self-discovery ranked seventh in openings for the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind BLACK PANTHER, IRON MAN 3, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR and the three AVENGERS movies (which also makes CAPTAIN MARVEL the second-biggest MCU opening without a Robert Downey Jr. appearance).

The 1990s-set alien invasion from directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck also had the third-biggest March opening, after the $174 million start of Disney's live-action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST last year and the $166 million opening of DC Comics clash BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE in 2016.

The new PG-13 sci-fi adventure with a shapeshifting Ben Mendelsohn and a digitally de-aged Samuel L. Jackson also scored $302 million from international audiences for a $455 million worldwide weekend, making it the sixth-highest global premiere ever (and behind only AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR's worldwide opening in the MCU).

Also featuring Lashana Lynch, Clark Gregg, Annette Bening, Jude Law and a cat named Goose, the galactic conflict (and precursor to this summer's AVENGERS: ENDGAME) came with a reported cost of $152 million.

Marvel's first female-fronted feature received a fairly solid response from critics, who gave it a 79% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Fly on over to the JoBlo reviews HERE and HERE.

After leading the list for two weeks, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD swooped to second place with $14.6 million. The PG-rated animated sequel has a domestic total of $119.6 million and a worldwide total of $435.2 million, on a reported $129 million cost.

In third place was the PG-13 comedy TYLER PERRY'S A MADEA FAMILY FUNERAL with $12 million, losing 55% of business from its opening last weekend. The $20 million sequel (Perry's eleventh and supposedly final Madea movie) has a ten-day domestic total of $45.8 million.

The sequel THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART was again in fourth place with $3.8 million as it continues stacking toward $100 milliion domestic. The PG-rated animated space adventure currently has a $164.4 million worldwide total (still far from halfway to the $469 million global finish of the first LEGO movie) on a reported $99 million cost.

Director Robert Rodriguez's sci-fi/action epic ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL was in fifth place with $3.2 million. The PG-13 anime/manga adapation (produced and co-written by James Cameron) has a domestic total of $78.3 milliion and $382.6 million worldwide on a reported cost of $170 million.

Oscar winner GREEN BOOK coasted in sixth place with $2.4 million, carrying the PG-13 Viggo Mortensen/Mahershala Ali drama to $80.1 million domestic and $242 million worldwide (on a $23 million reported cost).

In seventh was the PG-13 Rebel Wilson/Liam Hemsworth romcom ISN'T IT ROMANTIC with $2.4 million. The $31 million satirical comedy has a domestic total of $44.1 million on its fourth weekend.

FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY followed in eighth place with $2.1 million, taking the fact-based wrestling comedy-drama to a domestic total of $18.6 million on a reported $11 million cost.

The R-rated psychological thriller GRETA was in ninth place with $2.1 million, down by 52% from its opening last week. The Chloe Moretz/Isabelle Huppert drama from director Neil Jordan has a ten-day domestic total of $8.2 million.

Rocketing onto the list in tenth was the moon landing documentary APOLLO 11 with $1.3 million as it expanded to 400 locations, bringing it to $3.7 million domestic after its limited launch last week.

Outside the chart, the Taraji P. Henson comedy WHAT MEN WANT was displaced along with horror sequel HAPPY DEATH DAY 2 U.

In limited release, the Ethan Hawke/Chris Pratt/Dane DeHaan Western THE KID (directed by Vincent D'Onofrio) was gunned down with just $505k on 268 screens. Critics outlawed the latest Billy the Kid tale with a 38% average on Rotten Tomatoes (the JoBlo review is HERE).

The R-rated Julianne Moore drama GLORIA BELL had a better time in limited release, starting out with a per-screen average of $30k (it's also a critical darling with 98% on Rotten Tomatoes).

Next weekend offers the sci-fi thriller CAPTIVE STATE, the romantic drama FIVE FEET APART and the animated WONDER PARK.

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