‘The Croods: A New Age’ Holds Top Spot With $1.7 Million In Its Third Month In Theaters; Oscar Hopeful ‘Nomadland’ Bows At No. 7 With $503,000
Despite being available on premium VOD since the week before Christmas, The Croods: A New Age just keeps going…and going…and going at the box office. The unstoppable sequel from Universal and DreamWorks remained the top movie in North America this weekend, pulling in $1.7 million in its thirteenth week in theaters and simultaneously beating out a handful of more recent Oscar hopefuls that are struggling to turn their awards-season buzz into robust ticket sales.

The PG-rated animated film, which features the voices of Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds, scored an $899 per-screen average in 1,890 theaters over the weekend, bringing its North American total to $50.9 million. It has added another $103.1 million overseas to date, bringing its cumulative worldwide total to $154 million. The Croods 2 has shown remarkably long and strong theatrical legs over the past three months, making it one of the few COVID-era box-office success stories. In fact, at the rate it’s going, it’s only a matter of time before it overtakes Tenet’s $57.9 million domestic haul to become the domestic box office's highest-grossing movie of the pandemic era.

Finishing in the runner-up spot was Denzel Washington’s The Little Things, which racked up $1.2 million in its fourth week of release. Also available on the HBO Max streaming platform, Warner Bros.’ R-rated crime thriller fell -41.3% from the previous frame. The film, which also stars Rami Malek and Jared Leto and revolves around two cops hunting a serial killer, earned a $582 per-screen average in 2,061 theaters. Its four-week total in North America now stands at just under $11.8 million. Overseas, where HBO Max is not available, The Little Things has added $8.4 million so far, bringing its worldwide cumulative box office to $20.2 million.

In third place was Warner Bros.’ historical drama Judas and the Black Messiah with $905,000. The R-rated film, which stars Daniel Kaluuya as slain Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton, dipped -56.3% in its second weekend, managing a $479 per-screen average in 1,888 theaters. The film, which is also available on HBO Max, has been a favorite of critics, but isn’t quite clicking with ticket buyers yet—something which still may change as the Oscars’ April finish line gets closer.

In fourth place was yet another Warner Bros. title, Wonder Woman 1984, which lassoed $805,000 in its ninth weekend. The Gal Gadot-led superhero sequel, whose total domestic gross now stands at $42.7 million, shed -29.4% from the prior session, scoring a $478 per-screen average in 1,681 theaters. The PG-13-rated DC Comics title has fared better overseas, where it has pulled in $116.8 million thus far, bringing its cumulative global box office to $159.5 million.

Rounding out the Top 5 was Liam Neeson’s The Marksman, which collared $775,000 in its sixth weekend. The PG-13-rated border thriller from Open Road Films dropped off -29.7% from last week, nabbing a $471 per-screen average in 1,643 theaters. The macho action star’s latest has pulled in $11.5 million domestically and $3.7 million abroad, bringing its worldwide total to $15.2 million. The biggest box-office news of the weekend beyond the Top 5 was the arrival of director Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland. Since its splashy debut during festival season last September, the Frances McDormand drama, about an itinerant woman struggling to make ends meet, has been at the forefront of this year’s awards conversation. The R-rated film from Searchlight debuted in seventh place with $503,000, earning a soft $428 per-screen average in 1,175 theaters, some of which may be due to its same-day debut on Hulu. Nomadland has not opened overseas yet.