'Boss Baby' dethrones 'Beauty and the Beast' with $49M debut
By JAKE COYLE, Associated Press
Apr 2, 2017 10:36 AM CDT
In this image released by Paramount Pictures, Scarlett Johansson appears in a scene from, "Ghost in the Shell." (Jasin Boland/Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures via AP)   (Associated Press)

NEW YORK (AP) — The taskmaster toddler of "Boss Baby" has dethroned Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" at the box office with a $49 million debut.

Studio estimates released Sunday said the DreamWorks Animation release starring Alec Baldwin as a suit-clad baby narrowly edged out the previous two-week leader.

The live-action "Beauty and the Beast" took in $48 million in its third weekend. Final ticket sales figures will be released Monday.

Paramount's "Ghost in the Shell" couldn't compete with either family-friendly release.

The dystopian science-fiction remake of the Japanese anime classic opened with just $19 million, a poor showing for a film that cost $110 million to make.

Many took issue with the casting of Scarlett Johansson as the cyborg protagonist who was Japanese in the original.

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