Disney’s ‘Moana’ tops N. American movie charts

LOS ANGELES - The animated sea-faring musical adventure “Moana” sailed to success in its debut weekend, taking in an estimated $55.5 million to top the North American box office, an industry group said Monday. The Disney film about a brave Polynesian teenage girl on a risky mission to save her people reaped in $81.1 million during the full, longer Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Exhibitor Relations said. It unseated the Harry Potter spin-off “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” which fell to second place in its second weekend in theaters, chalking up $45.1 million for a total of $156.2 million so far. Based on a 2001 book by “Potter” novelist J.K. Rowling, the Warner Bros. film stars Eddie Redmayne as a wizard in 1920s New York. Its first weekend take of $74.4 million was the lowest opening for any film in Rowling’s “Wizarding World” series, as the film largely drew on fans of the original franchise rather than fresh, younger blood. Dropping from second to third rank in the charts, Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” posted another $13.4 million for a total of $205 million. The movie, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as neurosurgeon Stephen Strange - whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident - is the 14th film in Disney’s “Marvel Cinematic Universe.” Fourth place, with just $13 million, went to the debut movie “Allied,” starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard as World War II spies who fall in love during an assassination mission and eventually get married and have a child, but then become pitted against each other. The acclaimed alien invasion movie “Arrival,” starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, slipped from fourth to fifth place as it posted $11.3 million in weekend revenue. - AFP