LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Warner Bros.' fantasy film "Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald" took the top spot of North American box office in its opening weekend with an estimated 62.2 million U.S. dollars.
Penned by J.K. Rowling and directed by David Yates, the films of the "Harry Potter" universe is the sequel to 2016's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" which grossed 814 million dollars worldwide. The film stars Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Johnny Depp, Katherine Waterston, Carmen Ejogo, William Nadylam, Dan Fogler, Ezra Miller, Zoe Kravitz. The plot follows Newt Scamander and Albus Dumbledore as they attempt to take down the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, while facing new threats in a more divided wizarding world.
The film received a "B+" rating from moviegoers on CinemaScore and a 40 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Overseas, "Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald" brought in a massive 191 million dollars from 79 markets for a global total of 253.2 million dollars, according to studio figures collected by comScore.
Universal and Illumination Entertainment's holiday tale "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" dropped to second place in its second weekend with an estimated 38.16 million dollars, pushing its North American total to 126.54 million dollars for a global total of 151.7 million dollars through Sunday.
Based on the 1957 Dr. Seuss book with the title "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," the animated remake is the third screen adaptation of the story, following the television special from 1966 and the live-action feature-length film from 2000. Directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier, the film features the voice of English actor Benedict Cumberbatch as The Grinch. The plot follows the Grinch as he plans to ruin Christmas holiday in Whoville by stealing all the town's decorations and gifts.
Twentieth Century Fox's biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody" landed in third place with an estimated 15.7 million dollars in its third weekend. The film has earned 127.88 million dollars in North America through Sunday.
Directed by Bryan Singer and starring Rami Malek, the film is a foot-stomping celebration of the British rock band Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, tracing the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound.
Paramount's comedy film "Instant Family" opened in fourth place with an estimated 14.7 million dollars. Directed by Sean Anders, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne as a couple who adopt three young children through the foster care system.
Another newcomer, 20th Century Fox's crime film "Widows" finished fifth with an estimated 12.3 million dollars in its debut weekend. Directed by Steve McQueen and based upon the 1983 TV series of the same name, the British-American co-production follows a group of widows who attempt a heist in order to pay back a crime boss after their criminal husbands are killed on a botched job.
