For the second week in-a-row, Universal Pictures’ Despicable Me 2 lands on-top of the Box Office after opening on-top in its debut. It earns $44.7 million this weekend, for a two-week total of $225 million for Universal Pictures domestically from 4,003 theatres.
Sometimes it’s just not about Special F/X or the best Reviews for that matter when it comes to winning Moviegoers’ hearts. Case in point, Audiences opted for Comedy and familiar faces, making Grown Ups 2 number two for Sony Pictures, earning a strong $42.5 million in its debut. The follow-up to the 2010 Comedy reunites Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade and Adam Sandler once again, earning a lackluster 7% on the Tomatometer. Audiences gave it a B CinemaScore, however which won’t hurt its word-of-mouth buzz. Made for $80 million, it should have no problems paying its own bill. By comparison, its Predecessor debuted with $40 million, this latest Installment besting it slightly.
Pacific Rim debuts at third with solid reviews for Warner Bros., earning $38.3 million domestically. The Film, made in Toronto for a budget of $185 million is still expanding overseas, where it is expected to perform strongly, opening in the Top Two in the UK, Russia, Korea and Mexico, among others. Audiences gave it an A CinemaScore, while Critics gave the Guillermo del Toro Monsters vs. Robots Flick 72% on the Tomatometer.
20th Century Fox’s The Heat slips to fourth this weekend in its third week of release, with $14 million, now earning over $111 million domestically, just ahead of The Lone Ranger with $11.1 million in fifth for Disney. World War Z slips to seventh with $9.4 million for Paramount Pictures, while Man of Steel rounds-out the Top Ten with $4.8 million for Warner Bros. in its fifth week.
Although it still has yet to open in Canada, Sundance Favourite, Fruitvale Station, gets a timely limited release in the U.S. with the Trayvon Martin Trial verdict having been decided, earning $377k from just seven theatres. The Oscar Hopeful opens in Toronto on July 26, 2013.
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