Tom & Jerry: The Movie, a live-action/animation hybrid adaptation of the classic series of animated shorts, once again topped the UAE’s box office.
The film sold almost 21,000 tickets in its second weekend, with admissions dropping only 21.7 percent from weekend to weekend, a sign of strong staying-power. The film also did great business throughout the week, with a 10-day total of 63,635 tickets sold.
In terms of dollar-gross, Tom & Jerry made $303,000 at the box office in its first weekend in 100 theatres, bringing its 10-day total to approximately $730,000.
Cinemas in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain remain closed due to COVID-19, with cinemas in other emirates operating at a reduced capacity to prevent spread of the virus.
Tom & Jerry, which brings the timeless comic struggle between cat and mouse to the modern day, stars Chloe Grace Moretz, Michael Peña and Rob Delaney as employees in a hotel who are attempting to get rid of Jerry the mouse with the help of Tom the cat ahead of a celebrity wedding taking place in the establishment.
The film is set to open in the United States on 26 February, both in cinemas and on streaming service HBO Max.
The property is beloved throughout the Middle East and has been for generations since the property’s debut in 1940, with cartoons still regularly airing on television in the region.
The Mel Gibson-starring Boss Level opened at a distant number two, bringing in 4,638 people in its first week. The film is a sci-fi action spectacle from director Joe Canrahan who previously helmed Liam Neeson’s The Grey.
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was rereleased into theatres over the weekend, remastered in 4K by director Peter Jackson, as part of a special month-long event to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first film’s release. The next two films in the series, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, the latter of which won Best Picture at the Oscars in 2004, will be released in the coming weeks.
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring debuted at number 6 on the UAE’s box office chart, selling over 2,000 tickets. This is despite little advertisement to promote the event.
Judas and the Black Messiah, an Oscar-hopeful and Golden Globe nominee that brings to life the story of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton starring Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, opened in 8th, selling 1,441 tickets in its first weekend.
The Little Things, starring Denzel Washington, Jared Leto and Rami Malek, held on to the number five position ahead of each of them, selling another 2,000 tickets for a 43,500 total in four weeks.
The 100 Candles Game, a horror film starring Amy Smart, opened at number 9 with 1,300 tickets sold in its first week.
The Marksman, starring Liam Neeson, held on to the number 10 spot for another 1,200 tickets sold and a 50,000 ticket grand total in five weeks.
Music, directed by Sia, is officially a bomb, bringing only eight people into the theatre in its second week, to a 595 ticket total.
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