‘Hoppers’ holds onto the No. 1 box office spot as 'Reminders of Him' overperforms

This image released by Disney shows Mabel Beaver, voiced by Piper Curda, left, and King George, voiced by Bobby Moynihan in a scene from the animated film "Hoppers." (Disney/Pixar via AP)

LOS ANGELES — Pixar’s “Hoppers” held onto the top slot at the box office, bouncing back with US$28.5 million in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday, while Colleen Hoover’s “Reminders of Him” added to the author’s successful streak at the box office.

After its $45.3 million debut, The Walt Disney Co.’s “Hoppers” release dipped a modest 37 per cent in its follow-up weekend, a promising sign for an animated movie hoping to have strong legs through March. The Pixar original, about a young woman who transforms into the body of a beaver to help defend a pond from development, is hoping to keep attracting audiences with good reviews (94 per cent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and strong audience scores (an “A” CinemaScore).

While many of Pixar’s sequels have been blockbusters on arrival — like 2024’s “Inside Out 2” ($1.7 billion worldwide) — their originals have recently needed time to get going. In 2023, “Elemental” launched with a disappointing $29.6 million but went on to gross a hefty $496.4 million globally.

“Hoppers,” which has taken in $164.7 million globally thus far, has a long way to go to match that, but it’s off to a good start. It faced little direct new competition this weekend. The upcoming Amazon MGM sci-fi adventure “Project Hail Mary,” however, will soon take up IMAX screens and compete for family moviegoers.

Universal’s “Reminders of Him” debuted in second place this weekend with a better-than-expected $18.3 million. The film, starring Maika Monroe as a woman attempting to rebuild her life after prison, is the third Colleen Hoover adaptation to reach the big screen, following 2024’s “It Ends With Us” ($351 million worldwide for Sony) and 2025’s “Regretting You” ($91 million for Paramount).

“Reminders of Him,” which cost about $25 million to make, got poor reviews (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and notched a not-great “B” CinemaScore with audiences. But the film, the first from a screenplay co-written by Hoover, extends the bestselling author’s popularity with moviegoers.

“ Undertone,” a micro-budget horror movie from A24, opened with $9.3 million. The film, written and directed by Ian Tuason, has been touted as A24’s best horror film since Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” (2018), one of the movies that helped put the indie studio on the map. With a budget of just $500,000, “Undertone” makes particular use of sound design in a one-setting tale about a paranormal podcaster (Nina Kiri) caring for her dying mother.

After its disappointing debut, Warner Bros. “The Bride!” plummeted in its second weekend, dropping 70 per cent with just $2.1 million. The Maggie Gyllenhaal-directed riff on “The Bride of Frankenstein” cost about $80-90 million to produce, but so far has grossed just $11.3 million domestically.

Oscar weekend is often slow in theaters, with the industry’s attention largely focused on Sunday’s Academy Awards. But the trio of moderate successes in “Hoppers,” “Reminders of Him” and “Undertone” lifted moviegoing ahead of Hollywood’s biggest night. Year-to-date ticket sales are up 15.2 per cent from the same point last year, according to Comscore.

Top 10 movies by domestic box office

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:

1. “Hoppers,” $28.5 million.

2. “Reminders of Him,” $18.3 million.

3. “Undertone,” $9.3 million.

4. “Scream 7,” $8.4 million.

5. “Goat,” $4.7 million.

6. “The Bride!” $2.1 million.

7. “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” $1.7 million.

8. “Wuthering Heights,” $1.7 million.

9. “TMNT II,” $1.5 million.

10. “Crime 101,” $1.1 million.

Jake Coyle, The Associated Press