by Matt Marshall
In his second solo outing, Thor is a more lucrative name than he was two years ago. Thor: The Dark World took the weekend box office by storm this weekend, debuting at $86 million domestically. That gives the latest Marvel superhero film a 33% head start on its 2011 predecessor.
The next three films finished within a $200,000 window. According to estimates, Bad Grandpa took the second place spot again with $11.3 million. Free Birds currently stands in third place position pulling $11.2 million. Last Vegas finished right below in fourth place with $11.1 million. Actual numbers on Monday will determine the exact positioning of these three films.
Last week’s leader Ender’s Game dropped four spots to fifth place. The adaptation based on the Oscar Scott Card novel fell an alarming 62% from last weekend. After five weeks, Gravity spiraled out of the Top 5. However, the sci-fi smash is now in the Top 100 domestic films with $231.1 million.
Note: These #’s are based on Sunday’s projections and can change with Monday’s actual #’s.
#1 – Thor: The Dark World (NR)
$86.1 million / $86.1 million total
Summer isn’t the undisputed home for Marvel movies anymore. Releasing Thor: The Dark World in the heart of November was surely a risky move. But now that “God of Thunder” cracked $86 million opening weekend, there’s no reason not to open future MCU films in November. Maybe moving Ant-Man back to November 2015 isn’t such a bad idea now.
#2 – Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2)
$11.3 million / $78.7 million total
Bad Grandpa continues to raise the bar for the Jackass franchise. Everything box office analysts come to expect from a Jackass-style run is the complete opposite for Bad Grandpa. The Johnny Knoxville spin-off dipped 43% from last weekend, but remains the best third weekend in the franchise. Even Jackass 3-D only pulled in $8.5 million in this same frame.
#3 – Free Birds (4)
$11.2 million / $30.2 million total
Free Birds wasn’t exactly a box office feast last weekend, however its 29% hold bumped the Thanksgiving flick up one notch to third place. As the only ticket in town for families right now, Free Birds should experience two more strong weekends before Disney’s Frozen hits theaters November 27. A modest finish around $60 million seems likely.
#4 – Last Vegas (3)
$11.1 million / $33.5 million total
Switching spots with Free Birds from last weekend, geriatric comedy Last Vegas partied its way to fourth place. Starring Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Michael Douglas and Robert DeNiro, Last Vegas continued to pull in the Baby Boomer crowd not swayed by god-like superheroes or raunchy road trips. At its current pace, Last Vegas should enjoy a $60 million finish.
#5 – Ender’s Game (1)
$10.3 million / $44.0 million total
So much for an Ender’s Game sequel. Chances for a sequel seem as likely as ones for Eragon or The Golden Compass – slim to none. Plummeting 62% from last weekend and four spots, last week’s top film has little time left to make an impact. With The Hunger Games: Catching Fire set for November 22, Ender’s Game depends on a softer blow this weekend.
Opening Next Week: The Best Man Holiday, Charlie Countryman (limited), The Christmas Candle (limited), Nebraska (limited)
Source: Box Office Mojo
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Matt Marshall is a YouTube movie reviewer who hosts MNMreviews. He has a B.A. in Communications/Journalism from St. John Fisher College and resides in Rochester, NY.
