Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. (Photo: Alex Bailey / 20th Century Fox)

The Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody just broke the $100 million mark for North America this weekend, raking in a healthy $31.2 million in its second week of release for a global cume of $185.3 million – or what Comscore senior analyst Paul Dergarabedian summed up as “a rockin’ weekend!” The 20th Century Fox release starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury was produced for about $50 million, and despite a lot of negative reviews, has proven to be a crowd-pleaser.

The big green kahuna of the weekend was Universal’s Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, which stuffed $66 million into Universal’s North American box office stocking. Illumination Production features an original score by Danny Elfman and a pop soundtrack with songs from Tyler the Creator, Run-DMC, Nat King Cole and Pentatonix, among others. The Grinch earned $12.7 million from the international marketplace for a global debut of $78.7 million. The film features the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch as the Grinch, Cameron Seely as Cindy-Lou Who, Rashida Jones as Donna Who, Angela Lansbury and Kenan Thompson. The PG-rated film is narrated by Pharrell Williams and is directed by Yarrow Cheney.

Other openers for the weekend of Nov. 9-11 is Paramount’s JJ Abrams produced Overlord, with a score by Jed Kurzel (2017’s Alien Covenant, 2016’s Assassin’s Creed). The R-rated WW II horror film set in Nazi-occupied France scared-up $10.1 million domestically and another $9.2 million in 52 international markets this weekend for the No. 3 position.

Hanging in at No. 4, was Disney’s Nutcracker And The Four Realms with $9.565 million for a total of $35.257 million, and you know someone’s chestnuts are roasting on an open fire over this! Directed by Lasse Hallstrom and Joe Johnston with lavish visuals and a score by James Newton Howard (and a star-studded cast that includes Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley and Morgan Freeman) the film cost a reported $120 million and so far has tallied $96.7 million worldwide. 

Rounding out the Top 5, Sony opened The Girl In The Spider’s Web in 2,929 theaters taking in $8.015 million. This latest film in the Dragon Tattoo series stars Claire Foy as Lisbeth Salander the outcast vigilante defender who finds herself caught in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials. The score is by Roque Baños (2013’s Evil Dead, 2016’s Don’t Breathe and Risen).

Fathom Events opened the Metropolitan Opera’s Marnie in 900 locations to $903,000. Based on the 1950s novel by Winston Graham, the story about a mysterious woman who assumes multiple identities was also the basis of the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name. The music by Nico Muhly and libretto by Nicholas Wright were commissioned by the Met.

Other noteworthy music showings, Warner Bros. A Star is Born starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper held on with more than $8 million earned in its sixth week of release, for a domestic total of $178 million.

Sony Pictures Classics expanded Maria By Callas, the riveting story of the opera diva told in her own words, to 26 North American screens its second weekend, taking in $97,350 for a per screen average of $3,744 and a cume of $308,732.

Aviron expanded A Private War which has a score by H. Scott Salinas (and an end title song by Annie Lennox that sounds like an Oscar contender). In 38 theaters it earned $201,400 for a per theater average of $5,300 and a total of $283,843 through Sunday. The film tells the true story of war correspondent Marie Colvin, as portrayed by Academy Award nominee Rosamund Pike.