(Bloomberg) -- “Finding Dory,” the Pixar film in its third week of release, outdrew three new movies over the U.S. Independence Day weekend, including a Steven Spielberg picture and a costly “Tarzan” feature.
“Dory,” a sequel from Walt Disney Co., collected $50.2 million in North American theaters from Friday to Monday over the long weekend, ComScore Inc. estimated Monday in an e-mailed statement. Warner Bros.' “The Legend of Tarzan” landed in second place with $45.6 million, Universal Pictures' “The Purge: Election Year” was third with $34.8 million and Spielberg's children's movie “The BFG” placed fourth with $22.3 million.
The total box-office sales of about $225 million from Friday through Monday would be the fourth biggest July 4th weekend ever, comScore said.
The haul made Disney and Warner Bros. the weekend's big winners. Still, Universal's “The Purge,” a dystopian thriller, cost just $10 million to make, according to Box Office Mojo, suggesting a profitable theatrical run. “Dory” headed into the weekend with $330 million in domestic revenue, making it one of the top 2016 films. Analysts at BoxOfficePro.com were expecting weekend sales through Monday to rise from a year ago.
“Dory” was forecast to collect $52.3 million over four days, according to analysts at Box Office Mojo. The picture is a sequel to the highly successful 2003 film “Finding Nemo.”
“The Purge: Election Year” exceeded forecasts after Box Office Mojo predicted it would take in $30.9 million through Monday for Comcast Corp.'s film division. It's the third picture in a series about a society where crimes are legal for a night. Critics were split, with 55 percent giving positive reviews at RottenTomatoes.com.
The box-office tally for “The Legend of Tarzan” was a better-than-expected debut for Warner Bros. The film, which cost $180 million to make and tens of millions more to market, was projected by Doug Stone at Box Office Analyst to make as much as $29 million through Monday, a sum the studio will split with theaters.
Burbank, California-based Disney also released Spielberg's “The BFG,” which is based on the book by Roald Dahl and features Oscar winner Mark Rylance as the benevolent giant who befriends a young girl.
The movie scored well with critics, garnering 72 percent positive reviews. Analyst Stone was forecasting as much as $19 million for four days, while the studio was expecting around $30 million. The film cost $140 million to make.
To contact the reporters on this story: Anousha Sakoui in Los Angeles at asakoui@bloomberg.net, Gerry Smith in New York at gsmith233@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Crayton Harrison at tharrison5@bloomberg.net, Kevin Miller, William Selway
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