Beauty And The Beast dances off with top box-office spot

Not all reboots are created equal.

This weekend at the box office, nostalgia-driven fare was everywhere, from Beauty And The Beast to Power Rangers and CHIPs, producing both successful and underwhelming results.

On the high end, Disney’s live-action

Beauty And The Beast continued enchanting audiences in its second weekend in cinemas, easily topping the charts with US$88.3 million (3 billion baht), according to studio estimates. On the low end, Warner Bros’ raunchy, R-rated CHIPs debuted in seventh place with $7.6 million.

In the middle was Lionsgate’s Power Rangers, which earned a solid $40.5 million to grab the No. 2 spot. The PG-13 take on the campy 1990s television show tells the origin story of the Power Rangers with a diverse teenage cast of relative newcomers.

Its audiences were 60% male, while

Beauty And The Beast crowds remained largely female. The divide allowed both to succeed in the crowded marketplace.

Power Rangers didn’t get the best reviews, but audiences gave it a promising A CinemaScore, suggesting that it might have staying power in the coming weeks.

CHIPs, on the other hand, underwhelmed audiences, critics and the studio. Dax Shepard wrote, directed and starred in the action comedy based on the 1970s and 80s TV show about the California Highway Patrol.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has earned $317 million in just 10 days in North American cinemas and $690.3 million worldwide.

Also this weekend, the sci-fi thriller Life failed to connect with audiences, debuting in fourth place with $12.6 million behind holdover Kong: Skull Island with

$14.4 million.

The R-rated space film stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Reynolds as astronauts who discover that the alien life form they have brought on board might be dangerous. With a $58 million price tag, Sony and Skydance’s Life has a long journey to profitability.

Despite some flops, the March 2017 box office, which crossed $1 billion this weekend, has become the biggest March of all time, with help from the strength of Logan, Kong: Skull Island, Get Out and Beauty And The Beast.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian cinemas, according to comScore. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included.

1. Beauty And The Beast,

$88.3 million

($119.2 million international). 2. Power Rangers, $40.5 million ($18.7 million international).

3. Kong: Skull Island, $14.4 million ($93 million international).

4. Life, $12.6 million

($16.1 million international). 5. Logan, $10.1 million ($12.1 million international).

6. Get Out, $8.7 million

($2.2 million international).

7. CHIPs, $7.6 million

($1.9 million international). 8. The Shack, $3.8 million.

9. The Lego Batman Movie,

$2 million ($1.2 million international).

10. The Belko Experiment,

$1.8 million.