#BOX OFFICE: “THE PURGE” INVADES BOX OFFICE WITH $35 MILLION OPENING

A huge surprise at the Box Office this weekend as the R-rated Home Invasion-Horror with a tiny budget trumps all!  The Purge from Universal Pictures grosses a shocking $36.3 million in its debut, exceeding all expectations.  More impressively, it is showing only in 2,536 theatres. Critics gave it 41% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes, while Audiences gave it a C CinemaScore. Starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey, the Film  is one of two Films in currently in theatres for Hawke as Romantic-Drama, Before Midnight,  reuniting him a third time with Richard Linklater and Julie Delpy, lands in fifteenth spot also with $585k from only 50 theatres.

Box Office Monster Fast and the Furious 6 continues to perform well in second for Universal Pictures, earning $19.7 million in this its third week, just ahead of Now You See Me in third with $19.5 million, in its second week exceeding expectations.

Reuniting Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, The Internship debuts in fourth spot with $18.1 million for 20th Century Fox. Critics didn’t love the Google-inspired Comedy, earning 41% on the Tomatometer, while earning  a much better B+ CinemaScore.

Animated Feature, Epic, in its third week earns $12.1 million for 20th Century Fox, the only Family-oriented Film in the Top Ten.

Meanwhile, Will & Jaden Smith‘s After Earth finds itself in seventh spot with $11.2 million and The Hangover Part III slips to eighth spot with $7.3 million for Warner Bros.  The Great Gatsby rounds-out the Top Ten with $4.2 million in its fifth week, now grossing over $136 million in North America.