Disney’s ‘Dumbo’ fails to impress at North American box office

LOS ANGELES, USA – Disney’s new live-action film Dumbo failed to soar at the box office as expected on its opening weekend in North America, taking in $46 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations found Monday, April 1.

Analysts had expected Tim Burton’s live-action remake of the 1941 classic about a small elephant with huge, magical ears to pick up at least $50 million in its opening 3-day weekend. The film had a $170 million production budget.

With a cast including Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Eva Green and Danny DeVito, Dumbo may yet catch on overseas, where it has taken in $71 million. The last Burton/Disney live-action collaboration, Alice in Wonderland, earned $1.02 billion worldwide.

Dumbo pushed last weekend’s box office leader, Us, down to second place, but the Universal horror film still brought in a respectable $33.2 million. 

Written and directed by Jordan Peele, Us stars Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke as a couple frighteningly confronted by their doppelgangers.

In 3rd spot was another Disney film, Captain Marvel, with North American ticket sales of $20.7 million, pushing its cumulative worldwide total to just under $1 billion. Oscar winner Brie Larson stars as a former fighter pilot with superpowers.

4th place went to new release Unplanned from Christian production company Pure Flix, at $6.4 million – a shade over its $6 million production budget. Ashley Bratcher stars in the true story of a young Planned Parenthood employee who becomes an anti-abortion activist.

Lionsgate’s Five Feet Apart, featuring Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse as a pair of enamored teens who must keep their distance as they deal with cystic fibrosis, came in 5th at $6.2 million.

Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were:

• Wonder Park ($5 million)
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World ($4.4 million)
• Hotel Mumbai ($3.2 million)
• A Madea Family Funeral ($2.7 million)
• The Beach Bum ($1.8 million)

– Rappler.com