鈥淪pider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse鈥� swung to the top of the domestic box office in its first weekend in theatres, proving that there is widespread audience interest in big screen animated versions of Marvel鈥檚 marquee superheroes.

The film led a host of newcomers that debuted to varying success on this pre-Christmas holiday weekend, including Clint Eastwood鈥檚 drug smuggling drama 鈥淭he Mule鈥� and the Peter Jackson-produced epic 鈥淢ortal Engines鈥� which bombed in North American theatres.

鈥淚nto the Spider-Verse鈥� earned an estimated $35.4 million from 3,813 theatres against a $90 million production budget according to Sony Pictures on Sunday, which is a record for animated movies in December (although the hybrid 鈥淎lvin and the Chipmunks鈥� movies were higher). The film features an innovative animation style 鈥� both CGI and hand-drawn 鈥� and focuses on the Miles Morales character as he learns to become the famed web-slinger. It鈥檚 another financial win for the studio鈥檚 latest 鈥渆xpanded Spider-Man universe鈥� strategy following 鈥淰enom鈥� and 鈥淪pider-Man: Homecoming.鈥�

And 鈥淪pider-Verse鈥� has been very well-received among critics, and audiences in exit surveys gave it a rare A+ CinemaScore 鈥� a first for a Spider-Man film. It鈥檚 also been nominated for a Golden Globe award for best animated feature and picked up a few honours from critics鈥� groups as well, including the New York Film Critics Circle.

鈥淲e are playing to both families and fanboys. We鈥檙e an all-audience film,鈥� said Adrian Smith, Sony鈥檚 president of domestic distribution.

They also have an eight-day runway until the big Christmas release start packing the multiplexes.

The Clint Eastwood-directed drug smuggling drama 鈥淭he Mule鈥� debuted in second place with an estimated $17.2 million. It鈥檚 a solid debut for R-rated film that cost $50 million to produce. The Warner Bros. film drew an audience that was mostly older (78 per cent over 35-years-old) and male (54 per cent).

鈥淐lint Eastwood has such a big following as a director and a star,鈥� said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution.

It鈥檚 Eastwood鈥檚 first major role in a film since 2012, and the studio is optimistic about the film鈥檚 longevity into the holiday.

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Not all the new films were so lucky, however. Coming in fifth behind holdovers 鈥淒r. Seuss鈥� The Grinch鈥� and 鈥淩alph Breaks the Internet,鈥� was the Peter Jackson-produced epic 鈥淢ortal Engines,鈥� which bombed in North American theatres, taking in only $7.5 million in ticket sales against a reported $100 million production budget. MRC and Universal Pictures produced the post-apocalyptic steampunk film based on the popular Philip Reeve book, which is the first of four in a series.

Neither critics nor audiences responded favourably to the Christian Rivers-directed film, however, which has a deathly 28 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

This weekend also saw the release of the PG-13 rated version of 鈥淒eadpool 2,鈥� 鈥漁nce Upon A Deadpool,鈥� in 1,566 locations. It earned an estimated $2.6 million, which is being added to 鈥淒eadpool 2鈥檚鈥� box office totals.

In limited release, Barry Jenkins鈥� James Baldwin adaptation 鈥淚f Beale Street Could Talk鈥� opened in four theatres to a very strong $219,173. Jenkins鈥� follow-up to 鈥淢oonlight鈥� is expected to be a big player throughout awards season and expands nationwide in the coming weeks.

Historically, this mid-December, pre-Christmas weekend has not been a big one for movie openings, save for the exception of last year when 鈥淪tar Wars: The Last Jedi鈥� opened to $220 million, which is why the weekend overall is down some 61 per cent from last year and why the year-to-date advantage has fallen slightly to 8.5 per cent.

But the industry is still on track for a record year at the box office and has several late-game blockbusters on the way including 鈥淎quaman,鈥� 鈥滲umblebee鈥� and 鈥淢ary Poppins Returns.鈥�

鈥淎quaman鈥� doesn鈥檛 hit North American theatres until Friday but the big budget DC superhero movie is already a blockbuster internationally. In its second weekend in theatres abroad, the film has already earned $261.3 million.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the happiest time of the year for Hollywood. This is when you get that big burst at the end, a lot of people catching up on movies,鈥� said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about momentum and this momentum should carry into next year.鈥�

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to Comscore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. 鈥漇pider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,鈥� $35.4 million ($21 million international).
2. 鈥漈he Mule,鈥� $17.2 million.
3. 鈥滵r. Seuss鈥� The Grinch,鈥� $11.6 million ($23.3 million international).
4. 鈥漅alph Breaks the Internet,鈥� $9.6 million ($7.9 million international).
5. 鈥滿ortal Engines,鈥� $7.5 million ($11.5 million international).
6. 鈥滳reed II,鈥� $5.4 million ($2.3 million international).
7. 鈥滲ohemian Rhapsody,鈥� $4.1 million ($20 million international).
8. 鈥滻nstant Family,鈥� $3.7 million ($738,000 international).
9. 鈥滷antastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald,鈥� $3.7 million ($11.8 million international).
10. 鈥滸reen Book,鈥� $2.8 million.

___

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theatres (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to comScore:

1. 鈥淎quaman,鈥� $126.4 million.
2. 鈥淒r. Seuss鈥� The Grinch,鈥� $23.3 million.
3. 鈥淪pider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse,鈥� $21 million.
4. 鈥淢ortal Engines,鈥� $20 million.
5. 鈥淢y Neighbour Totoro,鈥� $13 million.
6. 鈥淔antastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald,鈥� $11.8 million.
7. 鈥淢ortal Engines,鈥� $11.5 million.
8. 鈥淒ragon Ball Z Super: Broly,鈥� $8.7 million.
9. 鈥淩alph Breaks the Internet,鈥� $7.9 million.
10. 鈥淭he Nutcracker and the Four Realms,鈥� $4.8 million.

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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press