Aquaman makes a big splash to top N.American box office

Jason Momoa, whose new film Aquaman is leading the North American box office in its opening weekend, is seen at the film’s Hollywood premiere earlier in December 2018

That put it well ahead of two other new holiday-timed releases, as Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns took in $22.2 million for the three-day weekend, flying slightly higher than Paramount’s Bumblebee at $21 million.

Together, the three helped boost the year’s domestic box-office revenue toward a record $11.8 billion, Hollywood Reporter said.

Aquaman stars Jason Momoa in a title role infused with new swagger by director James Wan, with Variety calling Momoa’s Aquaman "a bare-chested Hawaiian super-stud with long, shaggy surfer hair and all-over tribal tattoos."

The look seems to work: The film has already taken in some $410 million outside North America.

Mary Poppins, while lacking truly boffo opening numbers, is expected to follow past musicals in enjoying a long box-office run.

The sequel to the 1964 movie stars Emily Blunt as the stern but kind-hearted nanny (Julie Andrews in the original), backed by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame. Dick Van Dyke, Mary Poppins’ Cockney-accented friend in the original film, makes a cameo.

Bumblebee, a prequel to the Transformers movies, stars Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena. It drew a lofty 94 per cent rating from Rotten Tomatoes as all three of the top grossing new movies earned strong A-ratings from CinemaScores.

In fourth was Sony’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, taking in $16.7 million. It has Peter Parker making way for Miles Morales as a black, Latino Spider-Man.

And fifth spot went to The Mule from Warner Bros, at $9.3 million. Clint Eastwood, who at 88 says this will be his last acting part, directs and takes the lead role as a destitute 90-year-old who turns to transporting cocaine for a Mexican drug cartel.