"The Secret Life of Pets" (Pets) has hit more than $103 million on its three-day opening, taking over "Finding Dory's" number one spot in last weekend's box office. The Disney film has fetched $20.4 million.
This is the largest opening for an original film not based on a source material like a comic or a book, USA Today reported. The newly released animated film about talking dogs, which is produced by Illumination Entertainment and distributed by Universal, even beat "Inside Out's" $90.4-million record when it came out in theaters in June 2015.
The news site noted that "The Legend of Tarzan" landed the second spot with a $20.6-million weekend, thus bumping the "Finding Nemo" sequel down to third place. Bagging $16.6 million and taking the fourth spot is the new comedy "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates." Meanwhile, social sci-fi, horror and action film starring Frank Grillo, "The Purge: Election Year," has completed the weekend's top five with nearly $12 million.
Disney's 2016 animation, which stars a blue tang fish who suffers short-term memory loss and her clown fish friends, Nemo and Marlin, has taken home $422.6 million after dominating the U.S. box office for three weeks. It is expected to become the all-time highest-grossing animated film when it surpasses "Shrek 2's" North American record. The 2004 animated top-grosser finished off its run in the box office with $436.7 million.
According to Deadline Hollywood, people predicted "Finding Dory" to overshadow "Pets" and push the latter down to a mere $80-million range on its opening. But, as it turns out, "Pets" fared better and is even Illumination's second-best performer during opening after "Minions," which kicked off with $115.7 million last year.
"Pets" stars a terrier named Max (voiced by Louis C.K.), whose quiet life in a Manhattan apartment building turns upside down when his owner (Ellie Kemper) takes in a large and hairy stray dog named Duke (Eric Stonestreet). Their adventure starts when Duke tricks the jealous Max into travelling far into the city with him, where they get attacked by a gang of cats and end up being caught by Animal Control.
Critics gave "Pets" generally good reviews. The entertainment site quoted a non-Universal executive as saying that the film has a "brilliant concept," showing people what their pets do when they are away.
Nick Carpou, who is the domestic distribution chief at Universal, was also cited as saying that the secret to the film is that it is not just for kids or families, but that it appeals to all ages and it resonates across the world and with the widest audience.