OPENINGS: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (Sony) is still several days from its US opening, but the superhero spectacle already has $132M in the bank after a $67.2M 2d weekend in 42 international territories–which don’t yet include such lucrative areas as China, Brazil and France. It should be over $150M before any US ticketbuyer has even seen it, and with an opening US weekend of $90M+ expected, should be at $250M+ by this time next week.
Back at home, THE OTHER WOMAN (20th) had a tidy win between blockbusters with a $24.7M weekend. It also took in $12.8M in 31 overseas territories, covering about half the world. Given the huge titles headed its way (which includes Neighbors as direct competition in 2 weeks), it may decline quickly, and probably won’t reach the $216.2M worldwide result of Cameron Diaz’s last comedy hit Bad Teacher, but should still hit a comfortable profit on moderate costs.
BRICK MANSIONS (Relativity) had an OK $9.6M opening, and won’t get higher than $25M in the US. Even with a reported $28M production budget and a relatively low-level marketing campaign, it will need to do better overseas to avoid red ink.
THE QUIET ONES (Lionsgate) faced the quiet of the grave, with a reported $4M weekend that may not get its US total into double digit millions. Even its low budget won’t save it.
HOLDOVERS: Indications are that CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (Disney/Marvel) held back its competition and took 2d place, down a very low 37% in its 4th weekend to $16M. (That’s a better hold than the 45% drop for the 4th weekend of the original Captain America, a remarkable feat for a sequel that got off to a much faster start, and also better than the 46% Weelend 4 drop for Iron Man 3.) Captain 2 has also earned $420M overseas, and its $645.2M worldwide total has pulled it past Iron Man 2 and Thor 2, with every chance of hitting $700M.
HEAVEN IS FOR REAL (TriStar/Sony) also held very well, currently estimated at falling 39% to $13.8M (a strong Sunday could boost that) for a $51.9M total. It should reach $75M before it’s done, making it a big moneymaker for Sony compared to its minimal costs.
RIO 2 (20th/Blue Sky) dropped just 38% to $13.7M, but its $96.2M US total is nothing to be thrilled about (it’s running 10% behind the first Rio in the US), and while it’s doing better overseas with $250M to date, it’s similarly lagging there A $425-450M worldwide total will keep the franchise in business, but without the kind of sequel bump that 20th was hoping to get. (By comparison, the 2d Ice Age movie made 70% more than the first worldwide.)
TRANSCENDENCE (Warners) continues to be a disaster, down 62% to $4.1M in its 2d weekend, and even though it’s doing better overseas, the numbers are still puny, with a $10.8M weekend and $51.6M worldwide to date. Johnny Depp’s next mainstream starring role in Mortdecai has significantly been calendared for an off-season February 2015 opening, as his name no longer guarantees big ticket sales when he’s not in a pre-sold blockbuster.
BEARS (Disney) had the best hold of the weekend, down just 25%, but with $3.6M and a $11.2M total to date, that’s not going to get it very far. A HAUNTED HOUSE 2 (Open Road) collapsed by 63% in its 2d weekend to $3.3M.
DIVERGENT (Summit/Lionsgate) continues to hold very well in the US (down 36% to $3.6M and a $139.5M total) but with much less appeal overseas ($93.2M to date). Now that the studio has announced that it will be a 4-film franchise, with the final novel in the series, as per recent pattern, being stretched to a doubleheader, work will have to be done to try to strengthen the sequel internationally.
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL (Fox Searchlight), down a mere 28% to $2.5M in its 8th weekend, has now passed Moonrise Kingdom to become Wes Anderson’s #2 film in the US (it’s already his biggest worldwide), and if it can hold onto its theatres as the summer rush begins, it should pass The Royal Tenenbaums and its $52.4M at #1.
LIMITED RELEASE: LOCKE (A24) had a fair launch with a $22K average at 4 NY/LA theatres. THE RAILWAY MAN (Weinstein) expanded to 156 with a blah $4K average. FADING GIGOLO (Millenium) looked OK after expanding to 37 theatres with a $8700 average. ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE (Sony Classics) grew to 53 theatres with a $4100 average. THE LUNCHBOX (Sony Classics), while not setting box offices on fire with a $2100 average at 165, is clearly getting strong word of mouth, dropping just 3% from last weekend. THE GERMAN DOCTOR (Goldwyn) started with a $7K average at 5.
About the Author
