Fury took the #1 spot at the weekend box office with ease, bringing in $23.8 million safely topping Gone Girl despite Gone Girl‘s continually strong hold, this week only dropping 32.6% for $17.8 million, becoming the latest film to cross $100 million at the domestic box office. As for Fury, budgeted at $68 million, the film earned an “A-” CinemaScore from opening day audiences, which could signal a strong hold for a couple weekends. That opening, however, fell just outside of the top ten openings for Brad Pitt, coming in 11th just behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button ($26.8m), which went on to make over $127 million domestically back in 2008.
In third is the animated newcomer The Book of Life with $17 million. The animated film produced by Guillermo del Toro also earned an “A-” CinemaScore from opening day audiences and opens with almost the exact same result as Laika’s The Boxtrolls, which brought in $17.2 million about a month ago and has so far brought in $46 million domestically. I have a feeling, however, this one is shooting more for international dollars than domestic and internationally it added $8.5 million to its opening weekend tally.
The Best of Me has earned the distinction of earning the worst opening for a Nicholas Sparks adaptation with only $10.2 million. This isn’t a big surprise if you ask me as I just didn’t think James Marsden and Michelle Monaghan were much of a box office draw. Put Channing Tatum or Ryan Gosling in this movie and then you’ll start making money.
Last week’s newcomer Dracula Untold fell 57.9% with $9.8 million while Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day held tight, dipping 38% for a $12 million second weekend, only a 34.4% drop.
Things look much more dour when you take a peek at Jason Reitman‘s Men, Women & Children, which expanded into in 608 theaters this weekend and brought in only $320,000. That’s a per theater average of only $526. It gets even worse when you see Birdman opened in only four theaters and brought in $415,000 ($103,750 per theater) and Dear White People kicked things off in 11 theaters and opened with $344,000 ($31,273 per theater). Reitman needs a little love people.
Next weekend sees the release of the Keanu Reeves actioner John Wick and the latest boardgame adaptation, Ouija along with limited releases such as the Edward Snowden doc Citizenfour and Lynn Shelton‘s Laggies. Care to offer up any early predictions?
