NEW YORK (AP) — It took until mid-August, but an original movie is finally no. 1 at the box office. After several months of sequel and franchise reboots leading the weekend box office, the shark thriller “The Meg” swam away with $45.4 million in its debut at North American theaters, according to final figures Monday.
The Warner Bros. release might not be the most inventive movie, but audiences have shown an appetite for shark movies in recent years. Starring Jason Statham, “The Meg” far exceeded expectations to topple “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” which slid to second with $19.4 million in its third weekend.
Opening in 1,512 theaters, Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” also pulled in a strong $10.8 million for Focus Features. The result is the director’s best debut in more than a decade.
1. “The Meg,” Warner Bros., $45,402,195, 4,118 locations, $11,025 average, $45,402,195, 1 Week.
2. “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” Paramount, $19,352,090, 3,888 locations, $4,977 average, $161,319,374, 3 Weeks.
3. “Christopher Robin,” Disney, $12,960,057, 3,602 locations, $3,598 average, $50,549,374, 2 Weeks.
4. “Slender Man,” Sony, $11,371,866, 2,358 locations, $4,823 average, $11,371,866, 1 Week.
5. “BlacKkKlansman,” Focus Features, $10,845,330, 1,512 locations, $7,173 average, $10,845,330, 1 Week.
6. “The Spy Who Dumped Me,” Lionsgate, $6,462,612, 3,111 locations, $2,077 average, $24,422,997, 2 Weeks.
7. “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” Universal, $5,861,715, 2,812 locations, $2,085 average, $103,870,915, 4 Weeks.
8. “The Equalizer 2,” Sony, $5,408,237, 2,373 locations, $2,279 average, $89,554,165, 4 Weeks.
9. “Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation,” Sony, $5,210,815, 2,589 locations, $2,013 average, $146,988,206, 5 Weeks.
10. “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” Disney, $4,103,636, 1,863 locations, $2,203 average, $203,573,980, 6 Weeks.
11. “Incredibles 2,” Disney, $3,429,388, 1,545 locations, $2,220 average, $589,771,988, 9 Weeks.
12. “Dog Days,” Mirror/LD Entertainment, $2,554,766, 2,442 locations, $1,046 average, $3,595,738, 1 Week.
13. “The Darkest Minds,” 20th Century Fox, $2,142,645, 3,127 locations, $685 average, $10,988,197, 2 Weeks.
14. “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” Universal, $1,986,530, 1,237 locations, $1,606 average, $409,656,475, 8 Weeks.
15. “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies,” Warner Bros., $1,824,852, 1,437 locations, $1,270 average, $25,601,396, 3 Weeks.
16. “Eighth Grade,” A24, $1,587,299, 1,084 locations, $1,464 average, $10,054,342, 5 Weeks.
17. “Death of a Nation,” Quality Flix, $987,906, 825 locations, $1,197 average, $4,521,847, 2 Weeks.
18. “Three Identical Strangers,” Neon Rated, $734,313, 326 locations, $2,252 average, $9,719,905, 7 Weeks.
19. “Skyscraper,” Universal, $674,430, 670 locations, $1,007 average, $66,185,305, 5 Weeks.
20. “Sorry to Bother You,” Annapurna Pictures, $419,714, 204 locations, $2,057 average, $15,800,118, 6 Weeks.
