Author: Billy Tatum (Page 6 of 8)

Everything’s better in Lego.

The folks over at Marvel are starting to prove that their heroes are larger than life on and off the screen.

“Iron Man 3” kicked off the summer movie season bringing in $175 million over the weekend, giving it the second largest box office opening ever. This came in second only to last year’s men-in-tights fest “The Avengers”, which is credited to helping boost “Iron Man 3’s” debut. Overall, the movie has brought in over $680 million in worldwide receipts, bringing Disney past the $1 billion mark for it’s 19th straight year.

Although its star, Robert Downey, Jr, left room to speculation that it would be his last time donning the armor, this latest box office development should put that to rest as it’s turning into one of the most lucrative franchises of all time.

No movie lacked the power of old Shellhead, but spring standbys did manage to pull in the leftovers from Iron Man 3. The testosterone fueled “Pain & Gain” starring Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson” finished 2nd with $7.6 million.

Surprise baseball hit “42” continued to bring acclaim and crowds who liked a different kind of hero, bringing in $6.2 million for the weekend. Tom Cruise’s “Oblivion” came in 4th with $5.7 million. The prehistoric kid flick “The Croods” bright in 4.2 million to take the 5th spot.

A couple of indies managed to make a name for themselves. Mud starring Matthew McConaughey managed to break into the top 10 brining in $2.1 million on only 576 screens (an increase from last week’s 363), but Michael Shannon’s assassin biopic “The Iceman” managed to pull in $93,000 on only 4 screens in it’s debut. That was only on 4,249 less screens than “Iron Man 3”.

Rounding out the top 10…

6. The Big Wedding – $3.8 million
7. MUD – $2.1 million
8. Oz the Great and Powerful – $1.8 million
9. Scary Movie 5 – $1.4 million
10. Place Beyond the Pines – $1.2 million

Only the audience didn't laugh at this wedding.

Big muscles took the weekend box office before a real superhero shows them how to do it. Meanwhile, one wedding showed that moviegoers were left at the altar.

Paramount’s “Pain & Gain” led a slow box office over the weekend, pulling in $20 million, according to THR.com. Directed by Michael Bay, the film starred Dwayne Johnson and Mark Wahlberg as bodybuilders who get entangled in a kidnapping scheme. Based on a true story, the film only cost $26 million to make, so producers were ecstatic.

A film with a lot more star power came up short in its box office debut. “The Big Wedding” boasted a cast featuring Robert De Niro, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, Topher Grace, and Robin Williams, but no one wanted to appear at this wedding as it brought it only $7.5 million. It cost $30 million to make and will probably be on Netflix before you know it.

The other big name film to open this week was “Mud” starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese Witherspoon. Reese’s recent arrest didn’t seem to harm the film, playing in limited release. “Mud” earned $2.2 million on 363 theaters.

Here’s how the top ten shook out….

1. Pain & Gain – $20 million
2. Oblivion – $17.4 million
3. 42 – $10.7 million
4. The Big Wedding – $7.5 million
5. The Croods – $6.6 million
6. G.I. Joe Retaliation – $3.6 million
7. Scary Movie – $3.5 million
8. Olympus Has Fallen – $2.8 million
9. The Place Beyond the Pines – $2.7 million
10. Jurassic Park 3D – $2.3 million

Tom Cruise’s latest pic may have dealt with a bleak future, but in the present, he’s proving that he’s still box office gold.

The sci-fi actioner “Oblivion” opened to $38.2 million this weekend, blowing away it’s competition in it’s debut. In the film, Cruise stars as one of the last people on the planet 60 years after an alien invasion. It also stars Morgan Freeman and Olga Kurylenko. “Oblviion” is already in it’s second week overseas and has pulled in $150.2 million in worldwide receipts.

An unexpected sleeper continued to make its way around the bases as the Jackie Robinson biopic “42” took the #2 spot with $18 million. The film starring Chadwick Boseman and Harrison Ford is in it’s second weekend and has already grossed $54 million.

“The Croods” continued to make studio execs live in the past, passing the $400 million mark worldwide and earning the No. 3 spot for the weekend, with a domestic haul of $9.5 million.

The low-budget laugher “Scary Movie 5” continued in the top 5, placing 4th in it’s second weekend with a gross of $6.5 million for the week.

Ryan Gosling may want to reconsider going on a hiatus. His indie drama “The Place Beyond the Pines” has taken on more theaters and more dollars at the box office. It also stars Bradley Cooper as both men’s lives take startling turns after a chance encounter. “Pines” explanded” into 1500 theaters this week and earned the No. 6 spot for a total of $4.7 million and and overall gross of $11.4 million.

Rounding out the top ten…

5. G.I. Joe: Retaliation – $5.8 million
6. The Place Byond the Pines – $4.7 million
7. Olympus Has Fallen – $4.5 million
8. Evil Dead – $4.1 million
9. Jurassic Park – $4 million
10. Oz The Great and Powerful – $3 million