As expected, it was the latest from Neill Blomkamp, Chappie, that took #1. But, the robot pic didn't get close to firing on all cylinders this weekend, pulling in a meager $13.3 million, for a per-venue average of a mediocre (considering it had IMAX screens) $4,155. That's below expectations, which many had pegged it would hit $20 million. One positive note, the budget was only $49 million, so any financial loss here for Sony will probably be minimal. And its likely overseas grosses will probably save the day. For Blomkamp, this is less than half of his last effort Elysium ($29 million), and only around one-third of District 9 ($37 million). Perhaps the main reason for this under-performance is the weird scenario this movie carries. Chappie, in its marketing, seemed like it had some family-friendly elements, while in the end, the R rating just didn't seem to make much sense for this. Negative reviews (30% on Rotten Tomatoes) likely kept some audiences at home, and while a "B" CinemaScore is decent for this kind of movie, it's not a great sign for playability. Sony had lowered their projection to $14 million Friday.Last week's topper, Focus, held OK in the face of strong competition, off 46% to $10 million. In 10 days, the Will Smith crime caper has earned $34.6 million. That's not a particularly great 2-week total for a movie with a star like Smith. Focus is on track to finish above $50 million, but probably won't go much higher than that.
Debuting in third place with very solid numbers was The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The sequel to the Golden Globe-nominated first movie managed $8.6 million, for an average of a decent $5,467 from just 1,573 locations. In comparison, the first Marigold earned $6.3 million in its debut nationwide weekend, but had expanded from a limited release and played in less theaters. So, it may not be a direct apples-to-apples comparison, but still, this shows that the first one's goodwill definitely carried over here. Second earned generally positive reviews (64% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a "B+" CinemaScore. With older audiences to find it in the next few weeks (a group of moviegoers that finds movies overtime), look for this to play very well through the month of March. For distributor Fox (through its Searchlight division), this is a success, as the budget was just $10 million.
Continuing to show solid holding power in fourth place, Kingsman: The Secret Service was off 30% to $8.3 million. In 24 days, Matthew Vaughn's latest is at a strong $98 million and will become the 2nd $100 million movie of 2015 by Wednesday. The action flick is playing very well overseas too, with nearly $250 million worldwide so far.
Playing in the Top 5 for five-straight weeks (and five-straight weeks playing in more than 3,000 locations), The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water held well again, off 35% to $7 million, for a strong $149 million pick-up in one month of release. However, the cartoon adaptation will likely lose theaters (and audience) to next week's Cinderella, which is already tracking for a strong debut next weekend.
Fifty Shades of Grey continued its downward spiral, off 47% to $5.6 million (its smallest drop yet), and is at $156.4 million in 24 days, and will likely lose a lot of its remaining female audience to Cinderella next weekend. Shades will probably add about $10 million before its done. McFarland USA, on the other hand, continued to hold on, off just 32% to $5.3 million, for a decent $29.4 million in 17 days. McFarland might get a boost from double-feature showings with Cinderella next weekend and stands a good chance at reaching $40 million.
Following a disappointing debut last weekend, The Lazarus Effect fell 50% to $5.1 million, for a dismal $17.4 million gross in 10 days. That's on the stronger end for second weekend holds for horror flicks, but still quite precipitous. Look for a finish anywhere between $20 and $25 million. The DUFF continued to hold itself strong, off a Top 10-lightest 29% to $4.9 million, and is at a solid $26.1 million gross in 17 days.
Rounding out the Top 10 is the final new release, R-rated comedy Unfinished Business. Vince Vaughn hit a new low for his career, pulling in just $4.8 million, and a per-venue average of a terrible $1,728. Despite a solid marketing effort, Business failed to generate any significant anticipation or buzz. On a budget of $35 million, this will be one of the year's most notable disappointments. The CinemaScore was a "B-".
