Box Office: Think Like A Man Too‘s $30 Million Opening Rules Weekend

Box Office, Columns, News

No one should be surprised that Think Like a Man Too topped the weekend with an estimated $30 million. Comedian Kevin Hart is one of the biggest African-American stars at the moment serving an audience that is regularly underserved by much of Hollywood. This is his third feature this year, yet its performance could not match or exceed what Ride Along did back in January. The relationship comedy, About Last Night, a remake of the ’80s film, which was adapted from the David Mamet play “Sexual Perversity in Chicago”, opened with $25.6 million. Those thinking Hart’s popularity is on a down trend, don’t be so premature. He’s got three comedies on tap for 2015, two of which are starring vehicles, including one (titled Get Hard – let’s see if that title stays) alongside Will Ferrell and frequent collaborator Gary Owen.

Slipping to second but so close to taking the top spot again was 22 Jump Street. Regardless of either comedy finishing first or second, the big winner is Sony Pictures. Having two sequels finishing #1 and #2 is a nice feather in the hat of Sony execs.

Unlike most of the tentpole releases that preceded it, 22 Jump Street had a less than 50% drop in attendance (-49.2%) so audiences are definitely on board with strong word of mouth reactions from those who saw it opening weekend. With $110 million in two weeks, this comedy should remain in the top ten for the foreseeable future and easily surpass the $138 million domestic take of 21 Jump Street.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 may have garnered a strong critic response, it is not firing on all cylinders like a big animated sequel should. Still, the first Dragon tale made $500 million worldwide and there are still many more international markets where this Dragon sequel can make up the difference.

In a disappointing fourth is Clint Eastwood’s take on the famed Jersey Boys musical. Though in his defense he pretty much has carte blanche when he’s with Warner Bros. It’s not that there was a huge demand to bring a Jersey Boys movie to the big screen. A similar situation happened when Universal Pictures brought the winning musical The Producers starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick to screen. It failed upon its release as well. With zero stars outside of supporting player Christopher Walken, and little fanfare beyond the hit stageplay musical (which opened on Broadway in 2005), $13.5 million is the best at what could have been expected. With a $40 million cost, it may break even domestically, especially if older audiences venture out in the following weeks for a nostalgia trip in the form of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.

Look out but Tom Cruise still has the need. The need for box-office star appeal. Those who were quick to write off Edge of Tomorrow may want to check on how well it has performed in the weeks that have followed its release. It is showing great legs. Definitely not the hit that Warner Bros. was hoping, which I blame more on the marketing campaign than the film itself, but if it can stretch its $74 million domestic total to finish at or near $100 million, I’d consider that a win for Cruise (international earnings will make up the rest), especially considering this is a non-franchise title like the Mission: Impossible series.

Also around the cineplex, Maleficent added another $20.3 million with its China debut to bring it to $521 million worldwide. The Fault in Our Stars is so close to achieving the celebrated $100 million domestic mark. Factoring in its low cost, I wouldn’t be shocked if studio Fox and competing studios are looking for other YA stories devoid of sci-fi or fantasy elements to bring to screen. Low costs plus good marketing and story can pay off in a big way if studios are smart and don’t give us YA over-saturation.

Though it is slowing at the box office X-Men: Days of Future Past could very well outgross X-Men: The Last Stand to dethrone its domestic X-Men record. The performance of DoFP overseas is well above The Last Stand so it’s got that going for it.

Jon Favreau’s Chef continues to be the delectable with its limited release model of performance. The comedy has grossed almost $17 million since its release seven weeks ago.

Sadly, the expansion of David Michod’s The Rover was a non-event. Moving from five screens to 599 resulted in a per-screen average of $835 and total of $500k. The theater where I saw it this past weekend had about eight persons in attendance. It almost felt like I was sitting at a private screening. Too bad, as it really is a great film that will ultimately be lost in the cacophony of summer blockbusters.


01. Think Like A Man Too — $30 million
02. 22 Jump Street — $29 million ($111.4 million)
03. How to Train Your Dragon 2 — $25.3 million ($95.1 million)
04. Jersey Boys — $13.5 million
05. Maleficent — $13 million ($185.9 million)
06. Edge of Tomorrow — $10.3 million ($74.5 million)
07. The Fault In Our Stars — $8.6 million ($98.7 million)
08. X-Men: Days of Future Past — $6.2 million ($216.7 million)
09. Chef — $1.84 million ($16.9 million)
10. Godzilla — $1.82 million ($194.9 million)

Travis Leamons is one of the Inside Pulse Originals and currently holds the position of Managing Editor at Inside Pulse Movies. He's told that the position is his until he's dead or if "The Boss" can find somebody better. I expect the best and I give the best. Here's the beer. Here's the entertainment. Now have fun. That's an order!