After years lingering in development limbo, and hit by controversy over the firing of director Bryan Singer, Bohemian Rhapsody has arrived with a strong launch at the US box office, earning $50 million for its first weekend.
The biopic charting the rise of rock supergroup Queen and charismatic, boundary-pushing lead singer Freddie Mercury also did well internationally, for a worldwide total of $141 million so far – a good result for the $50 million spent making it. And it was a much more successful film filled with music than Disney's The Nutcracker And The Four Realms. Despite looking to counter-programme and take aim at a family audience, the fantasy film seemed more like a lump of coal than an early Chrimbo treat, landing with just $20 million. Which might seem like a chunk of change, but given its $120 million budget (before marketing costs), that's not a good start and a rare miss for the Mouse House.
Third was Tyler Perry's latest, Nobody's Fool, which arrived to $14 million, representing one of the director's lowest launches at the Stateside box office. Fourth was A Star Is Born on $11.1 million, while Halloween fell from first to fifth with $11 million.
Venom slipped to sixth place, taking in $7.8 million, with animated adventure Smallfoot down to seventh and $3.8 million. Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween scared up $3.7 million in eighth, ahead of Hunter Killer, which sank from fifth to ninth on $3.5 million. The Hate U Give, meanwhile, was 10th with $3.4 million.
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