‘Coco’ brings box office back from the dead

NEW YORK — Pixar’s “Coco” sang its way to the fourth best Thanksgiving weekend ever with an estimated $71.2 million over the five-day weekend, a total that easily toppled Warner Bros.’ “Justice League.”

“Coco” rode strong reviews and an A-plus CinemaScore from audiences to the top spot at the domestic box office. According to studio estimates Sunday, it grossed $49 million from Friday to Sunday. Centered on the Mexican holiday Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), “Coco” has already set box office records in Mexico, where it has made $53.4 million in three weeks.

After a disappointing debut last weekend, the much-maligned DC Comics superhero team-up film “Justice League” slid to second with $40.7 million.

After some early blunders (Disney tried to trademark “Dia de Los Muertos,” sparking a backlash), the studio strove to capture Mexican culture authentically in “Coco,” enlisting cultural consultants for their feedback. The film, directed by Lee Unkrich and co-directed by Adrian Molina, is one of the largest U.S. productions ever to feature a largely all-Latino cast.

The most profitable movie currently at the box office might be the Lionsgate family release “Wonder,” directed by Stephen Chbosky. Starring Jacob Tremblay and Julia Roberts, the film — which carries a production budget of $20 million — has made $69.4 million. It slid just 19 percent in its second week, with $22.3 million in ticket sales.

A number of specialty releases with Oscar ambitions also hit theaters over the weekend. Of them, Sony Pictures Classics’ “Call Me By Your Name” came out with the best per-screen average: $101,219 in four theaters. The movie, starring Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer, is about a young man’s coming of age in 1980s northern Italy.

“Darkest Hour,” with Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill, debuted with $176,000 on four screens. The expanding releases of Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” ($4 million on 791 screens) and Martin McDonaugh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” ($4.4 million on 614 screens) also drew crowded theaters.

Less successful was the national rollout of “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” with Denzel Washington. Not since Washington’s 2002 directorial debut, “Antwone Fisher,” has a film starring Washington performed as weakly nationwide.