For the past three weekends, “Aquaman” has reigned supreme at the box office. This weekend was supposed to be more of the same, especially with the heat that Kevin Hart has been facing following the botched Academy Award hosting announcement. But somehow, “The Upside,” Kevin Hart’s latest film alongside Bryan Cranston and Nicole Kidman, topped the box office, grabbing $20.3 million, beating out “Aquaman” in its fourth weekend, which only added $17.3 million to its $1 billion worldwide total. “The Upside” also took the POPCORN AWARD, earning an average of $6,609 in 3,080 theaters. Fellow newcomer “A Dog’s Way Home” finished slightly below its projection but still landed at Number Three with $11.2 million. “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” moved up to Number Four (from Number Five) with $9 million and “Escape Room,” in its second weekend, closed out the Top Five with $8.9 million. The latest Keanu Reeves film “Replicas” landed lower than expected as well, earning $2.3 million and coming in at Number 13, despite projections of a $3.5 million open. Coming out of nowhere was the foreign film “Uri: The Surgical Strike,” which opened at Number 21, while another new foreign film, “Perfect Strangers,” opened at Number 24. Re-entering the List was “Free Solo,” which climbed nine spots and earned the GOLDEN PERCENTAGE AWARD with an increase of +577.0%, thanks mostly in part to some added IMAX screenings.
The weekend box office also saw quite a few films rising up the ranks. “On The Basis Of Sex,” in its expansion, drew in $6 million and a rise from Number 16 to Number 8. “A Star Is Born,” in its 15th week, jumped up five spots while even films like “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Ben Is Back” jumped a spot or two. Not jumping up but BOMBing was “Holmes & Watson,” in its third weekend dropped -82.9% and twelve spots to Number 22. That wasn’t even the worst percentage drop, however, as “The Grinch” fell off the List with a decrease of -83.3% and “Welcome To Marwen” took an almost double BOMB with a 19 spot drop and a decrease of -94.3%, putting it off the List as well. “Creed II,” “Instant Family,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald,” and “Shoplifters” all fell off the List this weekend as well.
Despite poor reviews, M. Night Shymalan’s “Glass” will take the Box Office crown easily next weekend, aiming for a $50 million opening. Not else of note will be opening, so the List will actually look fairly the same, perhaps with some shifting Oscar buzz films, as the Academy Award nominations gear up to out next week. With the overload of foreign language films on the List at the moment, expect “Simmba” to likely take the final plunge. If any other new releases land on the List, expect “Holmes & Watson” to BOMB right off the List completely.
BOX OFFICE KING: “The Upside”
BOX OFFICE QUEEN: “Aquaman”
POPCORN AWARD*: “The Upside”
GOLDEN PERCENTAGE AWARD**: “Free Solo”
| # | Title | Weekend | Total | Budget | Week | LW | CH |
| 1 | The Upside (STX) |
$20,355,000 | ($20,355,000) | $37.5m | 1st | N |  |
| 2 | Aquaman (WB) | $17,351,134 | ($287,947,915) | $200m* | 4th | #1 |  |
| 3 | A Dog’s Way Home (Sony) |
$11,251,263 | ($11,251,263) | $18m | 1st | N |  |
| 4 | Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (Sony) | $9,050,583 | ($147,826,028) | $90m | 5th | #5 |  |
| 5 | Escape Room (Sony) |
$8,928,452 | ($32,461,383) | $9m | 2nd | #2 | |
| 6 | Mary Poppins Returns (BV) | $7,650,693 | ($151,092,678) | $130m | 4th | #3 | |
| 7 | Bumblebee (Par) | $7,208,398 | ($108,903,375) | $135m | 4th | #4 | |
| 8 | On The Basis Of Sex (Focus) | $6,070,615 | ($10,402,462) | $20m* | 3rd | #16 | |
| 9 | The Mule (WB) | $5,674,006 | ($90,707,402) | $50m | 5th | #6 | |
| 10 | Vice (AP) | $3,235,830 | ($35,893,673) | $60m* | 3rd | #7 | |
| 11 | Bohemian Rhapsody (Fox) | $3,201,768 | ($198,498,074) | $52m | 11th | #11 | |
| 12 | If Beale Street Could Talk (AP) | $2,406,742 | ($7,706,167) | $12m* | 5th | #14 | |
| 13 | Replicas (ENTMP) |
$2,375,325 | ($2,375,325) | $30m* | 1st | N | |
| 14 | Ralph Breaks the Internet (BV) | $2,258,077 | ($190,493,680) | $175m | 8th | #9 | |
| 15 | Green Book (Uni) | $2,147,235 | ($38,607,941) | $23m | 9th | #15 | |
| 16 | Second Act (STX) | $1,671,142 | ($36,385,013) | $16m | 4th | #8 | |
| 17 | A Star Is Born (WB) | $1,124,102 | ($203,580,251) | $36m | 15th | #22 | |
| 18 | The Favourite (FoxS) | $1,108,173 | ($21,481,355) | $15m* | 8th | #13 | |
| 19 | Mary Queen of Scots (Focus) | $852,645 | ($15,229,520) | $25m* | 6th | #12 | |
| 20 | Free Solo (NGE) | $813,813 | ($12,323,600) | ** | 16th | #29 |  |
| 21 | Uri: The Surgical Strike (PYB) |
$631,146 | ($631,146) | $1.2m* | 1st | N | |
| 22 | Holmes & Watson (Sony) | $563,577 | ($30,033,730) | $42m | 3rd | #10 |  |
| 23 | Ben Is Back (RAtt) | $478,066 | ($3,118,719) | $13m* | 6th | #24 | |
| 24 | Perfect Strangers (PNT) |
$422,656 | ($422,656) | $4m* | 1st | N | |
| 25 | Simmba (RelBig) | $326,062 | ($4,724,863) | $11m* | 3rd | #18 | |
<<<ALL DOMESTIC NUMBERS FROM BOX OFFICE MOJO>>>>
OFF THE CHARTS THIS WEEK
| Title | Dom / World | Budget | Weeks | Highest | NOTE |
| Creed II (MGM) | $114,886,045 ($166,612,343) |
$50m | 8th | #2 | (+$64.9m) (+$116.6m) |
| Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (WB) | $158,520,703 ($647,743,775) |
$200m | 9th | #1 | (-$41.8m) (+$447.7m) |
| The Grinch (Uni) | $270,042,970 ($506,053,175) |
$75m | 10th | #1 | (+$195m) (+$431.1m) |
| Instant Family (Par) | $66,680,395 ($79,997,504) |
$48m | 9th | #4 | (+$18.7m) (+$32m) |
| Shoplifters (Mag) | $1,947,987 | ** | 8th | #25 | ** |
| Welcome to Marwen (Uni) | $10,746,095 ($12,449,860) |
$39m | 4th | #9 | (-$28.3m) (-$26.6m) |
(OFFICIALLY CLOSED)
*POPCORN AWARD goes to the highest per theater average within the Top 25 List
**GOLDEN PERCENTAGE AWARD goes to the highest increase within the Top 25 List
