I’m going to make this a quick recap as I missed posting this report yesterday.
FOX should pay CBS because of the success of Paul Feig’s new comedy, Spy. This is all on account of Melissa McCarthy starring in a sitcom (Mike & MollyBridesmaids, but her presence on CBS has surely elevated her status as a comic headliner in feature films in comedies like The Heat (yet another Feig collaboration, this time opposite Sandra Bullock), the totally unwatchable Identity Thief with Jason Bateman, and the I-didn’t-even-bother Tammy, which earned $84.5 million last year.
The release of Spy, wedged between bigger tentpoles San Andreas and Jurassic World opened to $29 million. A respectable opening for a comedy, but not overly impressive for a summer release.
Last week’s number one, San Andreas dips to second with a 52.7% loss in attendance. It added another $25.8 million to its take to bring its worldwide gross to $287 million worldwide. This mistitled Earthquake remake/ripoff is easily Dwayne Johnson’s biggest success in a lead role that isn’t a sequel/spin-off.
In my predictions last week I noted that Insidious: Chapter 3 should make at least $17 million based purely on the performance of the Poltergeist remake a few weeks prior. My lowball prediction turned out to see the third installment in the horror franchise finish with $22.6 million. This is even with Poltergeist‘s opening but has to be seen as a disappointment as the previous entry opened above $40 million. Perhaps the switch in theatrical distribution (Focus Features now instead of Film District) played a role or it could be that without the original cast or director James Wan (who would direct Furious 7 instead – now the fourth highest grossing film of all time!) that the film appealed to horror aficionados exclusively.
Pitch Perfect 2 catches laryngitis and tumbles from second place to sixth place. Worse is Disney’s dismal Tomorrowland which should be out of the top ten within the next few weeks. It dropped from third to seventh.
Disney’s saving grace is the continued top ten performance of Avengers: Age of Ultron. It has been in the top ten for six consecutive weeks. This past weekend it raked in $6.3 million to bring its domestic total to $438 million. Tack on another $910 million overseas and you’re looking at a $1.34 billion juggernaut.
Just outside of the top ten was Roadside Attractions biopic on Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, Love & Mercy. Debuting on 480 screens it finished with $2.1 million.
This weekend it is all about the release of Jurassic World. Look for this one to make close to or over $100 million.
Top ten weekend earnings below.
01. Spy – $29 Million
02. San Andreas – $25.8 Million
03. Insidious: Chapter 3 – $22.6 Million
04. Entourage – $10.2 Million
05. Mad Max: Fury Road – $7.8 Million
06. Pitch Perfect 2 – $7.5 Million
07. Tomorrowland – $7.2 Million
08. Avengers: Age of Ultron – $6.3 Million
09. Aloha – $3.2 Million
10. Poltergeist (2015) – $2.7 Million
