‘Fantastic Beasts’ tops N America box office

LOS ANGELES

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” had a slightly less than fantastic North American opening this weekend, at least by Wizarding World standards, taking in an estimated $43 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported on April 17.

Ticket sales for the Warner Bros. fantasy film, the third in the “Fantastic Beasts” series, were the lowest of any of the 11 films in the Wizarding World franchise, even while topping the weekend box office, industry outlet Variety said.

“Fantastic Beasts was never going to maintain Harry Potter’s success,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research. “That was a once-in-a-generation phenomenon.”

In second place, down sharply from last weekend’s $71 million opening, was Paramount’s family friendly “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” at $30 million. The original Harry Potter, likable British actor Daniel Radcliffe, has embraced the dark side as a villain in Paramount’s “The Lost City,” which took in $6.5 million to place third for the Friday-through-Sunday period. Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum also star.

Sci-fi comedy film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” from indie production company A24 came in fourth, at $6.2 million.

And in the fifth spot was new Sony/Columbia Pictures release “Father Stu,” at $5.7 million.