by 
Updated on December 10, 2021
This weekend saw much talk that new animated film “Rio 2” (a sequel to 2011’s “Rio”) might come in first place at the box office. However, it seems that Cap’s mighty shield forced “Rio 2” to yield, as “Winter Soldier” came in first place, earning $41.4 million (a drop of 56.4% from opening weekend). So far, the film’s earned $159 million domestically and $317.7 million foreign, for a global total to date of $476.7 million.
Meanwhile, “Rio 2” opened domestically to $39 million. Overseas, the film’s earned $124.3 million, for a global total to date of $163.3 million. Not bad given it only cost $103 million to produce. Given the next animated film opening is June’s “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” it’ll have plenty of “family” space to itself until then.
Elsewhere in the box office standings, “Muppets Most Wanted” dropped to ninth place, earning $2.2 million for a total to date of $45.7 million. Added to its $14.8 million international take, it’s earned a total of $60.5 million. While it’s earned back its $50 million production cost globally, it’s still disappointing to see its low take.
Finally, “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” has dropped to tenth place, earning $1.8 million for a domestic total to date of $105.2 million, and $143.1 million internationally, for a global total of $248.3 million. “Peabody” is probably done after this weekend domestically, though it seems to still be drawing in an audience overseas (particularly China), so it should crack $250 million by next weekend. While it’s on the low end for a Dreamworks film, again it’s quite successful for an animated feature based on a TV cartoon, coming in second only to “The Simpsons Movie.” It’s also better domestically than recent films “Turbo” and “Rise of the Guardians,” and “Turbo” got its own Netflix animated series. Hopefully we’ll see an all-animated (not live-action/CGI) film based on “Rocky and Bullwinkle” themselves.
In other news, Forbes states “The Lego Movie” (still lingering in some theaters) has now overtaken “Despicable Me to become the all-time top-grossing non-sequel non-Pixar/Disney animated film domestically.
Next weekend sees a few new films open domestically, but overseas, the main film watched will be “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” opening Wednesday in the UK.
