'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' Dethrones 'Joker' with Weak $36M Opening

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Walt Disney Co.’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil has knocked Joker out of the No. 1 spot at the box office, but just barely.

Studios on Sunday estimate that the film starring Angelina Jolie grossed $36 million in North America and $117 million internationally in its first weekend in theaters. The first film had a much stronger domestic showing, opening to nearly $70 million domestically in 2014.

Warner Bros.′ Joker landed in second place in its third weekend with $29.2 million. The villain origin story has grossed over $247 million domestically.

Third place went to another sequel, Columbia Pictures’ Zombieland: Double Tap with $26.7 million. The R-rated comedy comes 10 years after the original.

And in limited release, Taika Waititi’s Nazi satire Jojo Rabbit opened in five theaters with a strong $350,000.