#BOXOFFICE: “CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2” BRINGS PURE SUNSHINE TO THE BOX OFFICE

Besting its 2009 Predecessor by about $5 million in its debut, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 gave Families a clear-cut choice at the Movies this weekend and they responded huge, placing it on-top of the Box Office for Sony Pictures this weekend with an astounding $35 million from 4,001 theatres. Made for $78 million, the Animated-Feature received a coveted A- CinemaScore, although Critics overall weren’t as responsive with 58% on the Tomatometer.

Debuting in second and certainly not disgraced is Ron Howard‘s Racing Drama Rush, which premiered here a couple weeks back at TIFF ’13. Expanding to 2,297 theatres in its second week for eOne Films/Imagine/Universal Pictures with $10.8 million, the Oscar Contender has received critical praise with 88% on the Tomatometer and above this, Audiences loved the Film starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel  Brühl just as much with an A- CinemaScore.

Prisoners after debuting on-top last weekend, slips to third with $11.2 million for Warner Bros., grossing $38 million to-date. Following closely behind in third in its debut is Don Jon. The Comedy, written, produced, directed and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, opens with $9.5 million from 2,422 theatres for Relativity Media and Remstar Films in Canada.

Baggage Claim, starring Paula Patton, debuts in fifth for Fox Searchlight with a decent $9.5 million also from 2,027 theatres. Critics panned the Romantic-Comedy with 14% on the Tomatometer, but Audiences praised it with an A- CinemaScore.

Debuting Documentary Metallica: Through the Never 3-D, another TIFF ’13 Film, opens in ninth with $2.9 million from only 308 theatres. Rounding-out the Top Ten is We’re the Millers, still going strong in this its eighth week of release with $2.8 million.