'Moana' stays atop as 'Rogue One' looms large

Weekend Box Office Dec. 9-11, 2016

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) - For the third consecutive week, "Moana" stayed atop the box office this weekend, bringing in an estimated $18.8 million, bringing its domestic total to $145 million. Throw in the film's $93 million from international markets and the film has a very respectable $238.8 million gross worldwide. Its reign, however, is about to end as "Rogue One" looms.

Paramount's R-rated Christmas comedy "Office Christmas Party" did slightly better than expected to finish the weekend with $17.5 million. The movie is obviously going to have a rather limited shelf life, making its $45 million budget a little problematic. The worldwide total is currently $33.9 million. It will need to double that before we can even start considering calling the film a success.

In third place is "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"with $10.7 million. That pushes its domestic total to just short of $200 million. Worldwide J.K. Rowling's return to the Wizarding World has earned $680 million. From the beginning, I said that the film needed to make $700 million to be considered a success, rather than just a cornerstone that pointed to possible financial success further down the line. I think we can agree that over the next couple months the film will be able to scratch together another $20 million. The film having built up a great amount of goodwill from critics and audiences alike, I suspect Warner Bros. is quite happy with the spin-off of its highly lucrative Harry Potter franchise.

In fourth place, falling only 23 percent, is "Arrival." Paramount's intellectual sci-fi thriller has been something of a surprise. Its worldwide total currently sits at $129 million against a budget of $47 million. The fact that audiences, and not just critics, have embraced the film is a great sign that you don't have to pack your film with explosions and gunfights to fill the seats.

In fifth place is "Doctor Strange" with $4.6 million. Its worldwide total is $645.7 million. That's good enough to edge out "Thor: The Dark World" for seventh place on Marvel Cinematic Universe's worldwide chart, a feat that Disney must be reveling in.