LOS ANGELES (CNS) — "Wonder Woman 1984" opened with a bang at the box office, grossing $16.7 million this weekend to lead all films, according to industry estimates released Sunday.
Director Patty Jenkins' highly anticipated sequel to her 2017 hit, once again starring Gal Gadot as the titular superhero, was far ahead of another film making its debut, "News Of The World," starring Tom Hanks, which took in $2.4 million Friday through Sunday at theaters in the United States and Canada.
Flush with the success of the first two pictures, Warner Bros. announced Sunday that it will fast-track development on the third installment of the "Wonder Woman" franchise, which will be written and directed by Jenkins and star Gadot.
"As fans around the world continue to embrace Diana Prince, driving the strong opening weekend performance of `Wonder Woman 1984,' we are excited to be able continue her story with our real life Wonder Women — Gal and Patty — who will return to conclude the long-planned theatrical trilogy," said Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group.
"The Croods: A New Age" took third place in its fifth weekend in theaters with $1.7 million, according to Comscore.
The fantasy film "Monster Hunter," which led the box office last weekend, was fourth with $1.12 million, followed by "Promising Young Woman," which opened with $680,000.
Rounding out the top 10 domestic releases, as estimated by Comscore, were "Fatale" ($660,000), "Pinocchio" ($274,605), "The War With Grandpa" ($90,882), "Freaky" ($50,000) and "Come Play" ($40,000).
Indoor movie theaters in Southern California are closed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic, leaving only limited outdoor screenings.