‘Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw’ topples ‘Lion King’ from box office throne

Universal’s “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw� toppled “The Lion King� from the top of the domestic box office this weekend, opening with $60.8 million, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore — in line with analysts, who had pegged the film to earn between $60 million and $65 million.

The first spinoff in the 18-year-old “Fast & Furious� franchise stars Dwayne Johnson as lawman Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham as mercenary Deckard Shaw. The $200-million film, the ninth entry in the action series, went over well with audiences and critics with an A-minus CinemaScore and a 67% “fresh� rating from review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes.

Still, “Hobbs & Shaw� had the lowest opening for a “Fast & Furious� movie since 2006’s “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift� debuted to $24 million. The franchise’s most recent entry, 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious,� opened with $98.8 million on its way to $1.24 billion in global receipts. That film cost $250 million to make.

“The tremendous global result this weekend demonstrates that a potent combination of actors with great chemistry and a director in David Leitch with a strong vision can deliver a loyal fan base a new and exciting chapter,� said Jim Orr, the studio’s distribution chief. “The cast and filmmakers did an incredible job making this movie fun, thrilling and original while staying true to the ‘Fast & Furious’ DNA that audiences have come to expect.�

Internationally, the film earned $120 million. The $180.8 million global opening is the biggest of 2019 for a non-Disney, non-superhero film as well as the biggest domestic opening of the summer for a non-Disney, non-superhero film.

Disney’s “The Lion King� dropped to second place in its third weekend after spending two consecutive weeks at No. 1. It added $38.2 million for a cumulative $431 million. The film, which crossed the $1-billion mark globally last week, is the fourth Disney movie to surpass that mark this year following “Captain Marvel,� “Avengers: Endgame� and “Aladdin.�

At No. 3, Sony’s “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood� added $20 million in its second weekend, a 51% drop, for a cumulative $78.8 million. Analysts had predicted the film would earn $20 million to $22 million this weekend.

In fourth place, Sony’s “Spider-Man: Far From Home� added $7.7 million in its fifth weekend for a cumulative $360.3 million. It stands at $1.08 billion in global receipts.

Rounding out the top five, Disney’s “Toy Story 4� added $7.1 million in its seventh weekend for a cumulative $410 million. It stands at $959.3 million in global grosses and will likely become Disney’s fifth film to cross $1 billion before its theatrical run is over.

At No. 6, Universal’s “Yesterday� added $2.4 million in its sixth weekend for a cumulative $67.9 million.

At No. 7, A24’s “The Farewell� added 274 locations and $2.4 million in its fourth weekend — a 60% increase — for a cumulative $6.8 million.

In eighth, Paramount’s “Crawl� added $2.1 million in its fourth weekend for a cumulative $36.1 million.

At No. 9, “Aladdin� added $2 million in its 11th weekend for a cumulative $350.4 million.

Rounding out the top 10: Warner Bros.’ “Annabelle Comes Home� added $875,000 in its sixth weekend for a cumulative $71.6 million.

In limited release, Neon’s drama “Luce� opened in five theaters to $132,916 for a per-screen average of $26,583. It earned a 94% “fresh� rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The studio’s “Honeyland� expanded into five locations after debuting in two theaters last weekend. It grossed $37,671, for a per-screen average of $7,534 and a cumulative $81,827.

The 1091 thriller “Them That Follow� opened in three locations to $15,000 for a per-screen average of $5,000. It earned a 65% “fresh� rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Music Box Films opened “Piranhas� in one location to $3,049. The film will expand into nine additional locations on Friday and boasts a 50% “rotten� rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sony Pictures Classics expanded “David Crosby: Remember My Name� into 29 locations in its third weekend (up from 11 last week). It grossed $76,265 for a per-screen average of $2,630 and a cumulative $178,523.

This week, Warner Bros.’ debuts the crime drama “The Kitchen,� Lionsgate premieres the horror film “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark,� Paramount opens the family-friendly “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,� Fox reveals the drama “The Art of Racing in the Rain� and Bleecker Street opens the drama “Brian Banks.�