Liam Neeson’s action thriller The Marksman stayed atop the languishing domestic box office in its second weekend with an estimated $2 million.
There were no new wide releases as most Hollywood studios continue to delay their high-profile titles amid COVID-19 and continued theater closures, including in the top 10 moviegoing markets. Though smaller markets have reopened this month, it hasn’t made much of a dent. So far, January ticket sales are running more than 90 percent behind last year, according to Comscore.
The Marksman is directed by Robert Lorenz, Clint Eastwood’s longtime collaborator, and has earned $6.1 million in its first 10 days. Open Road, also home of Neeson’s recent pandemic pic Honest Thief, is handling the film domestically.
Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods: The New Age wasn’t far behind The Marksman. The family animated film grossed $1.9 million in its ninth weekend for a domestic tally of $41.8 million and $139.8 million worldwide.
Croods 2 has held up well in cinemas well despite being available on premium VOD in the U.S.
Wonder Woman 1984 came in third in its fifth weekend with $1.6 million for a domestic total of $37.7 million. Overseas, it has grossed $110.3 million for a worldwide total of $148 million.
In a controversial move, Warners WW84 made the Christmas Day superhero sequel available on HBO Max and in cinemas the same day because of the COVID-19 crisis and shuttered cinemas in many major markets.
At the international box office, Disney’s Soul posted strong openings in North Korea — where it scored the second-biggest pandemic debut for a non-Korean title — and in Russia. The Pixar title has now grossed $71.2 million at the foreign box office from 13 material markets, including $48.2 million in China.
Soul is only playing on Disney+ in the U.S. and certain international markets.
