There was no stopping Divergent from taking the top of the Box Office this weekend, an easy Winner across North America with $56 million grossed from 3,936 theatres for Lionsgate Films/eOne Films. The Adaptation of the first Novel in a Series by Veronica Roth, might not have fared well with Critics (44% on the Tomatometer), but Audiences gave it a resounding A CinemaScore. It will be interesting to see how the Film fares in coming weeks as hardcore Fans of the Books likely all have flocked to the theatres this weekend accounting for much of these numbers. The production budget for the Action-Fantasy was $85 million, well on its way to recouping this back.
Second best is Muppets Most Wanted, the latest Film in the revived Franchise from Disney. The star-studded Musical-Comedy brought-in $16.5 million from 3,194 theatres in its debut, below expectations. Critics gave it a great 75% on the Tomatometer and Audiences were on-par with a B+ CinemaScore.
Former Champ Mr. Peabody and Sherman slips to third spot this weekend with $11.7 million for 20th Century Fox. To date it has earned $80 million in three weeks, just ahead of 300: Rise of an Empire, also a former Number One Film, in fourth with $8.7 million for Warner Bros.
Opening in a surprising fifth is God’s Not Dead starring some of the Cast of Duck Dynasty. The Dramedy which is showing exclusively in the U.S. right now, opens with $8.6 million from only 780 theatres.
The Grand Budapest Hotel continues to perform tremendously in seventh with $6.8 million for Fox Searchlight. The star-studded Opus from Writer/Director Wes Anderson, has made $12 million in its three-week limited run.
Tyler Perry’s Single Moms Club rounds-out the Top Ten with $3 million for Lionsgate Films/eOne Films, in it second week out.
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