Box Office Round Up - 12-17-18

It's a Christmas miracle! After close to a motionless month at the box office, we finally have some movement at the marquee again. Roaring to the number one spot with over $35 million is another animated feature, Sony's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Miles Morales, rather than Peter Parker, must enter the 'Spider-Verse', a shared multiverse with numerous alternate Spider-Men, in order to stop the dastardly Wilson Fisk. Seeing this story on the big screen is significant for another reason, as the Afro-Latino Morales is the first minority iteration of the iconic webslinging crusader. It's gotten rave reviews thus far, with many outlets claiming it should be recieving awards consideration even beyond the Best Animated Feature category. The superhero movies just keep on coming!  
 
Debuting at two is the legendary Clint Eastwood's latest project, smuggling drama The Mule. His first directing and starring role in a decade is the true story of Leo Sharp, a struggling World War 2 veteran who was roped into becoming a courier for the Sinaloa Cartel before his arrest in 2011. Eastwood's American Sniper muse Bradley Cooper returns as well, as the DEA agent who tracks him down. At 88 years old, its a truly impressive dual acting/directing performance. We can only hope this isn't the last we've seen of him on the silver screen.
 
Conversely, coming in at a crushing fifth is the mega-budget would-be blockbuster Mortal Engines. From the creative mind of The Lord of the Rings'  Peter Jackson, its set in a post-apocalyptic world where traditional cities have been replaced with gargantuan machines that humans live on, which move about and clash with each other for the last bits of natural resources remaining. With a mammoth budget of over $100 million and a paltry debut, its on track to be the single biggest bomb of the year. Looks like it's coal in Hugo Weaving's stocking this year! See you next week!
 
 
1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse ($35.4 MM)
Directors: Bob Persichetti (UTA), Peter Ramsey (Verve), Rodney Rothman (UTA)
Writers: Phil Lord (UTA), Rodney Rothman
 
Cast: Shameik Moore (CAA)
        Jake Johnson  (UTA | 3 Arts)
        Hailee Steinfeld (CAA)
 
 
2.  The Mule ($17.2 MM)
Director: Clint Eastwood (Malpaso)
Writer: Nick Schenck (CAA) 
 
Cast: Clint Eastwood
        Bradley Cooper (CAA)
        Laurence Fishburne (Paradigm)
 
 
3. The Grinch ($11.6 MM)
Director: Scott Mosier (WME), Yarrow Cheney (UTA)
Writers: Michael LeSieur (UTA), Tommy Swerdlow (Paradigm)
 
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch (UTA)
        Rashida Jones (UTA)
        Kenan Thompson (UTA)
 
 
4. Ralph Breaks the Internet ($9.6 MM)
Directors: Rich Moore (UTA), Phil Johnston (CAA | Management 360)
Writers: Phil Johnston, Pamela Ribon (Gersh)
 
Cast: John C. Reilly (WME)
        Sarah Silverman (UTA | Thruline)
        Gal Gadot (WME)
 
 
5. Mortal Engines ($7.5 MM)
Director: Christian Rivers (WME)
Writers: Fran Walsh (Key Creatives) Philippa Boyens (Key Creatives), Peter Jackson (UTA)
 
Cast: Hera Hilmar (CAA)
        Robert Sheehan (Lisa Richards)
        Hugo Weaving (CAA)