With $50 million debut, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is no poor boy

The Freddie Mercury biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" shrugged off production troubles and mediocre reviews to debut with an estimated $50 million in weekend ticket sales, well above expectations.

Actor Allen Leech, left, musician Brian May, actor Rami Malek, musician Roger Taylor, actor Joe Mazzello and actor Gwilym Lee pose together at the premiere of "Bohemian Rhapsody" at The Paris Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, in New York. [Photo: AP]

The 20th Century Fox release starring Rami Malek as the Queen frontman had been pegged for closer to $35-40 million in its opening weekend.

Actor Rami Malek attends the premiere of "Bohemian Rhapsody" at The Paris Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018, in New York. [Photo: AP]

Opening in a distant second place was Disney's lavish, big-budget "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms."

Despite a budget of $125 million, the film debuted with just $20 million in sales. Disney's disappointment could be mitigated by the fact that it will soon own the studio that bested it, Fox.

The Tiffany Haddish comedy "Nobody's Fool" opened in third with $14 million.