6 hit original movies that have broken out at the 2019 box office, which has otherwise been dominated by sequels and Disney

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6 hit original movies that have broken out at the 2019 box office, which has otherwise been dominated by sequels and Disney

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 3 Sony

Andrew Cooper/Sony

"Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood"

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  • Disney has dominated the 2019 box office, but a few original movies have broken through.
  • "Good Boys," an R-rated comedy, became only the second original movie this year to top the box office over the weekend.
  • Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" is quickly becoming one of his biggest movies.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Disney has ruled the box office this year with five movies that have grossed over $1 billion worldwide, including "Avengers: Endgame," "The Lion King," and "Toy Story 4." So when an original movie - one not based on preexisting material - breaks through to top the box office, it's something to be celebrated.

"Good Boys," Universal's profane R-rated comedy, did just that over the weekend. With $21 million at the domestic box office in its debut, it's the only original movie besides Jordan Peele's "Us" (another Universal release) to take the number one spot at the US box office this year. It's also the first R-rated comedy to do so since 2016's "The Boss" (also a Universal release).

READ MORE: The 5 Disney movies that have made over $1 billion at the box office in 2019

The achievement is a bittersweet reminder that hit original movies are few and far between these days. But audiences can still rely on acclaimed filmmakers delivering exciting concepts, like Peele, whose first film "Get Out" in 2017 was a surprise box-office sensation, and Quentin Tarantino, whose "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" is on its way to being one of Tarantino's biggest movies yet with $180 million worldwide and counting.

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The horror genre is also reliable. Aside from superhero blockbusters, it seems to be the most likely genre to attract audiences to movie theaters, as movies like "Us" and "Crawl" have proven this year.

We rounded up six original movies that have exceeded expectations this year at the box office. Not all are blockbusters, but they have made a decent amount of money compared to their production budgets.

Below are six hit original movies in 2019, ranked by how much they've made at the domestic box office (numbers are based on data from Box Office Mojo, unless otherwise specified):

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6. "Good Boys"

6. "Good Boys"

Domestic gross (so far): $21 million

Worldwide gross (so far): $23.1 million

Production budget: $20 million

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 78%

What critics said: "There's an honest heart beneath the racy laughs. If only sixth-graders themselves could actually see it." — RogerEbert.com

5. "Ma"

5. "Ma"

Domestic gross: $45.4 million

Worldwide gross: $60.6 million

Production budget: $5 million

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 54%

What critics said: "The Oscar-winning actress (Octavia Spencer) is the only reason to see 'Ma,' and she's clearly having a grand old campy time playing Sue Ann." — Associated Press

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4. "Crawl"

4. "Crawl"

Domestic gross: $38.6 million

Worldwide gross: $63.7 million

Production budget: $13.5 million

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 82%

What critics said: "Like the apex predators slithering at the center of it all, it gets the job done once it lets is more brutal, primal instincts take over." — Rolling Stone

3. "Yesterday"

3. "Yesterday"

Domestic gross: $71.7 million

Worldwide gross: $128.5 million

Production budget: $26 million

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 63%

What critics said: "Fuelled by the engaging chemistry of its leads and the unflagging wonderment of the music, it zips along. But it can never quite reach escape velocity from the weight of its silliness." — London Evening Standard

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2. "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood"

2. "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood"

Domestic gross (so far): $114.3 million

Worldwide gross (so far): $180.2 million (source: The Hollywood Reporter)

Production budget: $90 million

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 85%

What critics said: "A bittersweet, complex, conversation-starting look back at the film business at the close of a tumultuous decade, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood also works as a strong argument for why it's too soon for Tarantino to pack it in." — Slate

1. "Us"

1. "Us"

Domestic gross: $175 million

Worldwide gross: $254.7 million

Production budget: $20 million

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 93%

What critics said: "'Us' will pin you to your seat and leave you stiff with fear. The mystery it weaves, however, doesn't yield any immediately satisfying answers, only more questions. But at least it gets you thinking, and these days, that's plenty." — Detroit News

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