#BOXOFFICE: “THOR: THE DARK WORLD” THUNDERS AT THE BOX OFFICE

After an explosive $31-million Friday opening, THOR: THE DARK WORLD debuts this weekend with $83 million across North America for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.  Made for $170 million, there is little doubt that this is a profitable venture, opening in 3,841 theatres. By comparison, its 2011 Predecessor also starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston and Natalie Portman banked $65 million in its debut.  Critics gave it a consensus 66% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer, while Audiences adored the Film with an A- CinemaScore.

Jackass: Bad Grandpa, a former Box Office Champion, slips to a v. distant second spot in its third week of release with $11.2 million for Paramount Pictures.  Domestically, the Film starring Johnny Knoxville is closing-in on the $80-million mark already.  This places it ahead marginally of the older demographic-skewing Comedy, Last Vegas, sitting once again in third in its second week with $11.16 million for CBS Films/eOne Films. Free Birds also just gets edged-out in fourth with $11.1 million for Relativity Media/eOne Films, also in its second week out.

Surprisingly, last week’s Champion Ender’s Game wasn’t able to hold as well in its second week, slipping to fifth this weekend with $10.2 million for Lionsgate Films/eOne Films.  The Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film to date has earned $43.9 million.

12 Years a Slave this weekend expands to 1,144 theatres for Fox Searchlight in seventh spot with $6.5 million, now having earned $17 million in its domestic run.

About Time expands to 1,200 theatres in its second weekend out, landing in ninth spot for Universal Pictures with $5 million.   The Rom-Com stars Domnhall Gleason and Rachel McAdams certainly wasn’t disgraced by Critics, earning a 66% on the Tomatometer.

Rounding-out the Top Ten is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 with $2.7 million for Sony Pictures, just surpassing $110 million in earnings domestically.

#BOXOFFICE: “GRAVITY” STAYS AFLOAT AT #1 A SECOND WEEK

For the second week in a row, Warner Bros. finds itself on-top with the Film on everyone’s lips these days, Gravity.  The Best Picture Contender powers-on in its second week of release, earning $44.3 million this weekend – a cumulative total of $124 million in two weeks.  The Sci-Fi Flick starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney is playing in 3,660 theatres currently across North America.

Opening with almost universally-positive reviews in second spot is Captain Phillips from Sony Pictures.  Starring Tom Hanks, the Drama opens with $25 million from 3,020 theatres and an A CinemaScore, and also a stupendous 95% on the Tomatometer. Much Oscar buzz is building around Hanks’ performance here as the Captain who oversaw the Maersk Alabama Ship which was hijacked by Somali Pirates in 2009.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 slips to third in its third week for Sony Pictures, still going strong to earn $15 million this weekend. To date it has grossed almost $80 million domestically.

Machete Kills debuts in fourth spot for Open Road Films/VVS Films with $5 million this weekend, a Follow-up to the 2009 Film by Robert Rodriguez. Critics didn’t think much of the Action Flick which features Lady Gaga‘s first-ever acting role, garnering a 30% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a B- CinemaScore from Audiences.

Prisoners continues to hang tough in sixth spot, now in its fourth week of release for Warner Bros., earning $3.7 million, just surpassing the $50-million mark.  Rush slips to ninth spot with $2.3 million for Imagine/Universal Pictures/eOne Films, the Oscar Contender playing in 2,130 theatres.

Baggage Claim rounds-out the Top Ten with $1.3 million for Fox Searchlight, now having made $18.2 million in its three-week run.

 

 

#BOXOFFICE: “GRAVITY” PULLS AUDIENCES TO THE TOP OF THE BOX OFFICE

Sandra Bullock continues to prove herself as a major Box Office Megastar with her latest Film, Sci-Fi Flick Gravity which premiered at TIFF ’13 to raves, debuting on-top with a stellar $55 million from 3,575 theatres. Other recent Blockbusters featuring her front and center include The Blind Side, The Heat and The Proposal.  Directed by Alfonso Cuaron, the Film not only won praise from Audiences with an A- CinemaScore, but Critics universally adored the Film, it receiving a rating of 98% on the Tomatometer.  With the buzz continuing to spill-over via word-of-mouth, look for a possible #1 repeat next weekend, although certainly it faces stiff competition from Captain Phillips.

Last week’s Champ Cloud with a Chance of Meatballs 2 continues to go strong for Sony Pictures, landing in number two this weekend with $21.5 million, for a cumulative total of $60 million in two weeks.

In third spot with $7.6 million from 3,024 theatres, is Runner Runner which debuts to both lackluster numbers for 20th Century Fox, getting a paltry 8% on the Tomatometer and not-so-great C- CinemaScore for the Thriller-Drama starring Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake and Gemma Arterton.

Prisoners in its third week performs respectable in fourth spot with $5.7 million from 3,236 theatres for Warner Bros. also. It grows closer to the $50 million mark.

Rush in its second week lands in fifth spot with $4.4 million from 2,308 theatres for Universal Pictures/Imagine/eOne Films. To date it has grossed over $18 million in its second week of wide release.

Pulling Strings opens in ninth spot for Lionsgate Films, the Comedy earning $2.5 million from only 387 theatres.  The Film stars Laura Ramsey, Jaime Camil, Stockard Channing and Tom Arnold, still yet to see a Canadian release.

Rounding-out the Top Ten for Fox Searchlight is the excellent Rom-Com, Enough Said, which in its third week earns $2.1 million from only 437 theatres. Critics have given the Film, one of the last from the late James Gandolfini, universal praise with a 95% rating on the Tomatometer.

#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.