Wednesday, 20 November 2013
Thor: The Dark World Beats The Best Man Holiday In Box Office Battle As It ...
Thor holds US box office top spot
Monday, 18 November 2013
Thor: The Dark World Dominates Box Office For Second Week As It Soars Past ...
'Thor' holds top spot with $38.5m
Thor: The Dark World Tops The US Box Office Again
Wednesday, 13 November 2013
Thor: The Dark World Scores $86 Million Debut At US Box Office
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
Thor: The Dark World Hammers US Box Office Rivals With $86 Million Debut
Thor: The Dark World Hammers US Box Office Competition, Nets $86 Million Debut
Top movies at North American box offices
Thor: The Dark World Scores $86 Million Debut At US Box Office
Monday, 11 November 2013
Thor: The Dark World soars to top of US box office
Marvel superhero blockbuster Thor: The Dark World pounded its rivals at the North American box office, taking $86.1m (£53.8m) in its opening weekend.
The sequel to the 2011 movie sees Chris Hemsworth reprise his role as the god of thunder who battles to save Earth from evil forces.
Bad Grandpa, from the makers of Jackass, held the number two spot for a second week, taking $11.3m (£7.1m).
Animated film Free Birds was just behind at three with $11.2m (£7m).
The film features the voices of Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson as a pair of turkeys who try to keep their kind off Thanksgiving dinner plates.
NORTH AMERICAN BOX OFFICE
1. Thor: The Dark World - $86.1m
2. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa - $11.3m
3. Free Birds - $11.2m
4. Last Vegas - $11.1m
5. Ender's Game - $10.2m
Source: Hollywood.com
Last Vegas, featuring Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline as four friends who reunite for a stag party, fell one place to four.
Last week's number one, Ender's Game, tumbled down the chart in its second week to five.
Industry forecasts had predicted the second Thor instalment would debut with at least $90m (£56m). It missed that target but did surpass the original film, which opened with $65.7m (£41m).
"It's a great start," Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution for Walt Disney Studios said, adding Disney would have considered "anything north of $80m (£50m) to be a good result."
Including international markets - where the movie has been playing since 30 October - the film has now taken some $327m (£204m) globally.
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Domestic Box Office Top 10: 'Thor 2′ …
2ND UPDATE: Thor: The Dark World has performed more strongly than expected and it will finish anywhere from $85.8 million this weekend to $87.7 million, even though I have one pundit who feels it could exceed that. Though many of our commenters have taken after Thor (and me, but the latter is inevitable given who I am temporarily replacing) in the 
The key will be how it plays before the opening of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire , which could have a $150 million opening weekend and consume all the oxygen in the room. Marvel seems to be able to do no wrong. The studio is in a zone I've seen in the past only with animated films, back when Jeffrey Katzenberg's Disney was cranking out one classic 2D animated classic after the other (my kids were small then, I saw The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast probably 500 times each and knew the words to every tune), and John Lasseter's Pixar. Marvel could probably score a big hit right now with a movie devoted to Tom Hiddleston's Loki character. The studio will undoubtedly come back to earth at some point, as the label tries to launch new franchises like Guardians Of The Galaxy and , and those will be Kevin Feige 's real test.
There's a real horse race going on for second place, and all three of the horses have held strongly. It's a virtual dead heat for
Another title worth watching is Fox's slow build on The Book Thief , the Brian Percival-directed adaption of the Michael Petroni WWII novel for Fox 2000. It opened in four locations and put up a per screen average of $27,000, for $108,000 total.
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa had another strong weekend and looks likely to squeak out second place. I saw this movie on the anniversary of a personal tragedy, picked up my distraught son from college and took him hoping to pull him out of the rut. I suppose it is easy to critically dismiss movies rife with physical comedy, but the two of us laughed like idiots, and director Jeff Tremaine and Johnny Knoxville will always occupy a place in my heart for helping my son get through what would have otherwise been an unbearable evening. As Tremaine told me, "Sometimes, you just need to laugh." That movie, which cost a reported $15 million, ends the weekend around $78.5 million as Tremaine continues his evolution as a filmmaker with a movie on the decadent rock band Motley Crue.
Coming in third will be Free Birds , the Relativity released animated film that could get to $30 million after its second frame. Is that a good outcome for a film with a reported $55 million budget? I saw the Relativity team at last night's AFI premiere of the Scott Cooper-directed Out Of The Furnace (more on that in a later post), and they seemed relieved that the film was performing more strongly than was expected going into the weekend. Over half that budget was covered by foreign pre-sales in what was the first film from Relativity and Reel FX as they find their footing in animation.
As for the rest of the Top 10, the under-$30 million Last Vegas will finish fourth and get to $33 million; Ender's Game should finish with a $44 million gross.
One of the other two noteworthy films in the Top 10 is 
Richard Curtis's About Time will finish ninth in the rankings, getting to a $6.2 million gross. Does that make it a flop? I don't think so. I'm told by insiders that the film cost under $15 million to make, and is has already grossed $43 million overseas. You empower a writer/director like Curtis and hope you get another Love Actually. Even if you don't, when he covers the bet like he will here, it's good news that he can keep taking his swings.
Finally, a word about the future of Deadline's box office reporting. This is my second weekend at it; last week I put up numbers because nobody else did. And so I did it, in between moderating panels at our Contenders Event. I have my eye on someone who'll soon be taking this over and who will elevate it and make it their own. But I do have some observations about this beat. There is a learning curve here, just as I am learning things every day in my new adventure here in Hollywood after covering this business from Long Island for so long. For instance, I learned from last night's Out Of The Furnace premiere that when they post a 6PM start time, what they really mean is they won't be dropping the puck for at least an hour after that. Box office has similar challenges for a newcomer.
People who have been critical of Deadline's box office coverage in the past have said films got thumped based on the biased observations of studios jockeying for position. I don't know about that, but I have seen all the spinning that goes on this weekend, and it's an easy trap to fall into if you don't actually go see the films and be better able to judge quality. I can see the spin at work, how one studio will over-project a rival's weekend expectations, so that when the actual numbers roll in, the movie can be spun as disappointing. Or how reporting factors in tracking service projections. Tracking is a tool that allows studios to see whether their marketing is creating awareness, and campaigns are fine-tuned in the final weeks based on those results. That tracking is not a reliable measure of performance. When some journalists see that actual film performance falls below tracking projections, they thump the movies and not the flawed tracking.
I can tell you that while I am doing this for the next couple of weeks, I will try my best to see as many of the new movies as I can, something that wasn't a priority here. I have a healthy respect for the creative process, for how hard it is to make a movie, and all the places it can go wrong. Last night at Out Of The Furnace, I met with the director, Scott Cooper. Here was a guy who put his own imprint on a spec script by Brad Inglesby (who was selling insurance when he got paid $500,000 against $1.5 million when Ridley Scott was directing and Leo DiCaprio starring), and Cooper made it very reminiscent of one of my fave films The Deer Hunter, with timely themes of economic hardship and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in soldiers returning from the Middle East. When I told Cooper how much I liked his movie, I could see him looking hard at me, as though trying to be sure I wasn't shining him on (I wasn't). Maybe it won't be this way for every film he makes, but I could tell this one has themes that are very personal to Cooper and he really threw himself into this. Maybe this sense of empathy will make me the worst box office reporter of all time. I have seen already it isn't pleasing some readers who come for bloodsport. I figure these would have been running around in togas in ancient Rome, using phrases like "epic fail" when they stopped throwing Christians to the lions. The only blood on display here will be my own, because I tend to bleed on the page sometimes. If that's not good enough, so be it.
Top 10
1) Thor: The Dark World/ PG13/ Disney / Wk 1/ Runs: 3841/ New / $31.850 Fri./ $31.737 Sat. 0% / $22.216 Sun. -30% = $85.803 million for weekend. Per Screen Average: $22,339. Total domestic gross so far $85.8 million.
2) Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa/ R Rating, Paramount/ Week 3/ Runs: 3187/ -158 / $3.366 Fri./ $4.801 Sat. 43% / $2.881 Sun. -40% = $11.048 million for weekend. Per screen average: $3,466. Total domestic gross so far $78.5 million.
3) Free Birds/ PG/ Relativity / Week 2/ Runs: 3736/ $2.559 Fri./ $5.039 Sat. 97% / $3.275 Sun. -35% = $10.873 million for weekend. Per Screen Average: $2,910. Total domestic gross so far $29.9 million.
4) Last Vegas/ PG13/ CBS / Week 2/ Runs: 3082/ 17 / $3.209 Fri./ $4.790 Sat. 49% / $2.874 Sun. -40% = $10.9 million for weekend. Per Screen Average: $3,528. Total weekend gross $33.3 million.
5) Ender's Game/ PG13/ Lionsgate / Week 2/ Runs: 3407/ 0 / $2.927 Fri./ $4.478 Sat. 53% / $2.911 Sun. -35% = $10.316 million for weekend. Per screen average: $3,028. Total weekend domestic gross $44.1 million.
6) Gravity/ PG13/ Warner Bros/ Wk 6/ Runs: 2720/ -304 / $2.291 Fri./ $3.870 Sat. 69% / $2.129 Sun. -45% = $8.290 million for weekend. Per screen average: $3,048. Total domestic gross $231 million.
7) 12 Years A Slave/ R/ Fox Searchlight/ Wk 4/ Runs: 1144/ 734 / $1.847 Fri./ $2.867 Sat. 55% / $1.864 Sun. -35% = $6.578 million for weekend. Per screen average: $5.75 million. Total domestic gross $17.3 million.
8 ) Capt. Phillips / PG13/ Sony / Wk 5/ Runs: 2646/ -375 / $1.578 Fri./ $2.531 Sat. 60% / $1.392 Sun. -45% = $5.5 million for weekend. Per screen average: $2,079. Total domestic gross $90.7 million.
9) About Time/ R/ Universal/ Wk 2/ Runs: 1200/ 1025 / $1.551 Fri./ $1.918 Sat. 24% / $1.247 Sun. -35% = $4.716 million for weekend. Per screen average: $3,930. Total domestic gross $6.2 million.
10) Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2/ PG/ Sony / Wk 7/ Runs: 1836/ -594 / $0.576 Fri./ $1.275 Sat. 121% / $0.829 Sun. -35% = $2.68 million for weekend. Per screen average: $1,460. Total domestic gross so far $109.9 million.
RELATED: 'Thor: The Dark World' Thursday Previews Wield $7.1M; International Cume Passes $150M
UPDATED: As expected, Marvel 's dropped the hammer on the competition to gross around $31 million between Thursday and Friday nights. The film got an A- Cinemascore and did even better than that in the young demo. It will finish in the $83 million range for the weekend.
Now, that certainly is imposing, but it is not as impressive as last year, when the 007 installment grossed $88.4 million. Then again, the first had a domestic gross of $65 million on its opening frame. That is what you want from a sequel, to exceed the original. This comes a weekend after the film opened to near $110 million internationally. Wonder how some other worthy films that had their growth stunted during the brutally competitive summer would have done if they'd been saved to open in this corridor? This might well establish Veteran's Day as a destination box office weekend, same as MLK weekend has become.
Way below those Thor grosses comes a battle for runner-up. It looks like will finish second, followed by the raucously funny Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa , the animated Free Birds and Ender's Game . The latter was an unabashed franchise play, but the weekend could prove a franchise ender; the box office gross is down over 60% from last weekend, putting the gross after two weekends at $44.2 million. That's not good enough. Coming in behind that is Alfonso Cuaron's , which continues to be a marvel that will finish the weekend at over $230 million; 12 Years A Slave , the critical darling upped its screens to 1144 and should gross around $6.5 million for the weekend for a $17.2 million total so far. Behind that is Captain Phillips , another prestige picture which in its fifth weekend should be at a total $91 million gross after the weekend.
Top 10
1)Thor: The Dark World / PG13/ Disney / Week 1/ Runs: 3841/ NEW / $31.85 Fri./ $30.258 Sat. -5% / $21.18 Sun. -30% = $83.288. Per Screen Average: $21,684. Total domestic gross $83.3 million.
2) Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa / R Rating, Paramount/ Week 3/ Runs: 3187/ $3.366 Fri./ $4.881 Sat. 45% / $2.928 Sun.= $11.175. Dropoff -44% from last weekend. Per Screen Average: $3,506. Total domestic gross $78.6 million.
3)Last Vegas / PG13 / CBS Films / Week 2/ Runs: 3082/ $3.208 Fri./ $4.972 Sat. 55% / $2.983 Sun. -40% = $11.164. Dropoff from last weekend: -32%. Per Screen Average: $3,622. Total domestic gross $33.6 million.
4) Free Birds / PG/ Relativity. Week 2/ Runs: 3736/ $2.559 Fri./ $5.118 Sat. 100% / $3.327 Sun. -35% = $11.004 Wknd -30%. Per Screen Average: $2,945. Total domestic gross $30 million.
5) Ender's Game / PG13/ Lionsgate/ Week 2/ Runs: 3407/ $2.927 Fri./ $4.391 Sat. 50% / $2.854 Sun. -35% = $10.171 Weekend drop off is -62%. Per screen average is $2,985. Total domestic gross $43.9 million.
6) Gravity / PG13/ WB / Wk 6/ Runs: 2720/ $2.291 Fri./ $4.009 Sat. 75% / $2.205 Sun. -45% = $8.505 Weekend dropoff is -34%. Per Screen Average is $3,127. Total domestic gross is $231.2 million.
7) 12 Years A Slave / R/ Fox Searchlight / Week 4/ Runs: 1144, increased from 734/ $1.847 Fri./ $2.863 Sat. 55% / $1.861 Sun. -35% = $6.571 Weekend gross is up 37% from last weekend. Per Screen Average: $5,744. Total domestic gross $17.3 million.
8 ) Capt. Phillips / PG13/ Sony/ Week 5/ Runs: 2646/ $1.578 Fri./ $2.604 Sat. 65% / $1.432 Sun. -45% = $5.614. Dropoff From Last Weekend -33%. Per Screen Average: $2,122. Total domestic gross $90.8.
9) About Time / R/ Universal / Week 2/ Runs: 1200 / $1.526 Fri./ $2.136 Sat. 40% / $1.389 Sun. -35% = $5.051. Up 369% From Last Weekend's Limited Release. Per Screen Avg: $4,209. Total domestic gross $6.6 million.
10) Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 / PG/ Sony / Week 7/ Runs: 1836/ $0.576 Fri./ $1.296 Sat. 125% / $0.842 Sun. -35% = $2.714. Weekend Dropoff is -35%. Per Screen Average is $1,478. Total domestic gross $109.9 million.
For more estimates listed by title, see box office results here...
Marvel's 'Thor' soars to top of US
Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni
Cast member Chris Hemsworth (R) greets his brother actor Liam Hemsworth at the premiere of ''Thor: The Dark World'' at El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, California November 4, 2013. The movie opens in the U.S. on November 8.
The 3D film starring Chris Hemsworth trounced last week's top movies. Raunchy comedy "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" finished in second place with $11.3 million from Friday through Sunday, according to Hollywood.com.
"Free Birds," the 3D movie featuring the voices of Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson as turkeys who team up and travel back in time to get turkey off Thanksgiving dinner plates, earned the No. 3 slot with $11.2 million, just ahead of senior citizen buddy comedy "Last Vegas" which took in $11.1 million.
"Thor: The Dark World" also hauled in $94 million from international markets, where the movie began playing on October 30, distributor Walt Disney Co said. IMAX showings added another $11 million globally, and its combined global sales through Sunday reached $327 million.
The new "Thor" installment co-stars Natalie Portman as the love interest for Thor, the mighty god of thunder who battles to save his homeland of Asgard from evil forces. Tom Hiddleston plays Thor's villainous brother Loki.
"Thor 2" fell a bit short of industry forecasts that it would kick off with up to $92 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters. But the sequel opened stronger than the original movie, which debuted with $65.7 million in May 2011.
Thor also appeared in 2012 smash hit movie "The Avengers," which helped stoke interest in the character. According to a poll by the Fandango movie website, 72 percent of ticket buyers said fond memories of Thor in "Avengers" influenced their choice to see "Thor: The Dark World." The "Thor" sequel cost $170 million, Disney said.
"It's a great start," said Dave Hollis, executive vice president of distribution for Walt Disney Studios, adding that Disney would have considered "anything north of $80 million to be a good result."
Hollis also noted that the film was playing especially well with family audiences.
"Marvel has transitioned," he said. "This is an everybody picture." Business ticked up as the weekend went on, and he said Disney was anticipating an especially strong performance on Sunday and Monday, given the Veterans Day U.S. holiday on Monday, when many schools and businesses will be closed.
Second-place film "Bad Grandpa" stars comedian Johnny Knoxville in disguise as an 86-year-old man who travels cross-country with his 8-year-old grandson, pulling pranks on unsuspecting people they encounter on the way.
Animated movie "Free Birds" tells the tale of a pair of turkeys that try to keep their kind off Thanksgiving dinner plates, while "Last Vegas" follows four lifelong friends who reunite for a bachelor party. It stars Oscar winners Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline.
Last week's winner, sci-fi thriller "Ender's Game," dropped to fifth place, taking in $10.3 million after a steep drop-off of 62 percent in box office receipts.
Two films in limited release expanded to more than 1,000 theaters each. Drama "12 Years a Slave," starring British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, brought in $6.6 million, while "About Time," a romantic comedy starring Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson, collected $5.2 million.
"Bad Grandpa" was released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. CBS Films, a unit of CBS Corp, distributed "Last Vegas." "Free Birds" was distributed by privately held Relativity Media. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp released "Ender's Game." Fox Searchlight, a unit of 21st Century Fox, released "12 Years a Slave." "About Time" was distributed by Universal Pictures, a unit of Comcast Corp.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)
Thor: The Dark World Hammers US Box Office Competition, Nets $86 Million Debut
By Shaun Kitchener On November 10, 2013
Disney's Thor: The Dark World has grossed $86 million at the US box office in its opening weekend, totting up a massive global haul of $327 million in just two weeks.
The big-budget blockbuster, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston, has scored the fourth-biggest opening in the USA for 2013.
Its number isn't quite up there with 'Avengers Assemble' or 'Iron Man 3', its nearest Marvel stable-mates, but it has comfortably thrased the first Thor movie, which bowed to $65 million in 2011.
Tom Hiddleston plays Loki in The Dark World (WENN)It is noted by The Wrap that The Dark World's numbers are hugely helped by IMAX and 3D screenings, which account for more than 80 percent of the 3,841 cinemas it was screened in.
With little else out there in terms of competition, the sequel was able to out-perform the rest of the US Top 10 combined this weekend, with Bad Grandpa bringing in $11.3 million to end up at No2.
Last week's No1, however, took a nosedive. Ender's Game, starring Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford, has struggled with lukewarm reviews but still managed to start at the summit last week.
Still, this weekend its gross has dropped 62% week-on-week, and it now resides a No5.
The UK box office figures won't be made available for a couple more days, but it is widely expected that Gravity - starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock - will come out on top. That film was released in the US last month and broke the record for October openings.
Saturday, 9 November 2013
Ender's Game Ends up at Top of US Box Office; Thor Hammers Overseas ...
"Ender's Game" took the No. 1 slot at the weekend box office, earning $28 million in its opening weekend and placing " Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" in second place, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film also earned an additional $2 million in five international territories.
A co-production between Summit Entertainment, OddLot Entertainment and Digital Domain, Ender's Game stars Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, Hailee Steinfeld and Abigail Breslin. Set in the near future,the story revolves around a young boy (Butterfield) who is recruited by the military to stop an alien race from destroying the world.
The movie is based on the novel by Orson Scott Card, "Ender's Game," and the studio hopes to turn it into a franchise like other young-adult adaptations such as "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games."
Paramount's candid-camera comedy starring Johnny Knoxville disguised as an old man brought in an additional $20.5 million in its second weekend, with a domestic haul of more than $62 million and $6 million in international ticket sales.
CBS Films' "Last Vegas," featuring an all-star cast of veteran actors including Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, opened in third place, with $16.5 million.
Relativity Media's 3-D animated family movie, "Free Birds, " with characters voiced by Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler, debuted in the fourth place, with $16.2 million.
Warner Bros. 3-D sci-fi thriller, "Gravity" continues to hold strong after its fifth weekend at the box office, earning $13.1 million and bringing its domestic total to $220 million and its international gross to $27.1 million.
"12 Years a Slave," considered an Oscar contender, earned $4.6 million at No. 7 in its third weekend.
Disney's "Thor: The Dark World" had a very impressive international performance after earning $109.4 in its debut overseas. The film's big numbers elevates Disney's cumulative international box office for 2013 above the studio's previous international record of $2.303 billion, which was set in 2010.
Here's this week's U.S. box office Top 10 (with week of release):
Ender's Game (1): $28.0 million Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2): $20.5 million Last Vegas (1): $16.5 million Free Birds (1): $16.2 million Gravity (5): $13.1 million Captain Phillips (4): $8.5 million 12 Years a Slave (3): $4.6 million Cloudy ... With Meatballs 2 (6): $4.2 million Carrie (3): $3.4 million The Counselor (2): $3.3 million
Friday, 8 November 2013
Ender's Game tops US box office chart
Sci-fi adventure Ender's Game has zoomed to the top of the US box office chart in its debut weekend.
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, about an 86-year-old and his eight-year-old grandson, was shunted into second after hitting the number one spot last week.
Ender's Game, a story about children forced to fight an enemy race, took $28m (£17.5m) according to estimates.
The film stars Harrison Ford as a commander who manipulates a young boy (Asa Butterfield) into leading a war.
Double Oscar nominee Viola Davis plays Ford's second in command.
US Box Office Top Five
1. Ender's Game ($28m)
2. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa ($20.5m)
3. Last Vegas ($16.5m)
4. Free Birds ($16.2m)
5. Gravity ($13.1m)
Source: Hollywood.com
Based on the best-selling 1985 novel of the same name, Ender's Game was in line with box office forecasts which predicted it would take between $25m (£15.6m) and $30m (£18.8m) in its opening weekend.
This was despite calls by some to boycott the film after the book's author, Orson Scott Card, made some comments expressing his opposition to gay marriage.
But with the highly anticipated Thor: The Dark World opening next week, box office analyst Jeff Bock said: "It looks like Ender's Game is one-and-done... (next weekend) there won't be much of the box office pie left for Ender's Game."
Last Vegas, featuring an all-star cast including Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, opened in third place with $16.5m (£10.3m).
Rentrak's Paul Dergarabedian said: "It's interesting to see the number of stars that are not in their 20s in the top films.
"Ender's Game has Harrison Ford and Viola Davis, and Last Vegas is like a Hangover for the older crowd. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney - in Gravity - appeal to an older audience, and 12 Years a Slave... is a very sophisticated drama."
Children's animation Free Birds, which features the voices of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler, debuted in fourth spot with takings of $16.2m (£10.1m).
Thor's UK success
Gravity, now in its fifth week, rounded out the top five.
Thor: The Dark World, which opened in the UK last Wednesday, beat all contenders at the UK and Ireland box office this weekend, earning £8.65m in its first five days in cinemas.
Even without previews it was the comfortable victor, taking £5.54m between Friday and Sunday according to Screen International.
According to its distributor Walt Disney, its weekend takings exceeded the entire first week box office of the first Thor in April 2011.
Last week's top film, animated sequel Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, fell to second place with a second weekend tally of £2.1m.
Thursday, 7 November 2013
Gravity and Captain Phillips top the US box office
While The Fifth Estate performs worse than hoped.
Gravity, from Children of Men director Alfonso Cuarón was the top release of the past month, grossing over US$426m worldwide (including US$218m in North America) since its 4 October release. The film stars box office heavyweights George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. Bullock plays Dr Ryan Stone, a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission, with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (Clooney). While on a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes and their shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone in space.
The 2nd biggest release of the month was Captain Phillips, from Green Zone director, Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks. The film is based on the true story of merchant mariner Richard Phillips, who was taken hostage by Somali Pirates during the Maersk Alabama hijacking in 2009.
Since its 11 October release the film has grossed US$125m worldwide - of which US$82m was in North America alone. Overseas receipts are expected to improve significantly going forward as the film is yet to be released in a number of locations and should reach over US$200m worldwide by closing.
The much awaited Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger prison film Escape Plan also opened this month and has performed relatively well at the international box office, grossing over US$50m worldwide since its 18 October release.
The film stars Schwarzenegger and Stallone as inmates who try to escape from a maximum security hi-tech prison. We expect the film to end off at around US$100m total worldwide gross, more than covering the film's US$50m budget. This return is significantly healthier than the two last films from either of these two actors: Stallone's Bullet to the Head grossed only US$22m off a budget of US$55m whilst Schwarzenegger's The Last Stand grossed U$37m off a budget of US$30m.
Other major October releases included Runner Runner, Machete Kills and The Fifth Estate.
The Fifth Estate tells the story of Julian Assange. Despite a fair amount of hype, the film has performed poorly so far, earning only US$6m worldwide off a budget of US$28m since its 18 October release.
Mexico Cinema Crosses the Border With 'Instructions,' 'Nobles'
The crossover success of at least one Mexican film, along with plans in place for another local hit to make its way north, have Mexico 's bizzers thinking big, and targeting the U.S. as fertile ground for distribution.
SEE MORE: From the November 05, 2013 issue of Variety
Mexico's box office is typically dominated by movies from Hollywood. In 2012, the country's total B.O. receipts hit $841 million, with two local hits contributing a dismal $7.8 million. In 2011, the biggest local film was the animated "Top Cat," with $8 million, while in 2010, box office for the top two local hits peaked at $16.6 million.
This year, however, things have changed a bit. Gaz Alazraki's " We Are the Nobles," distribbed by Warner Bros., has grossed $26.6 million at the local box office, while Eugenio Derbez's " Instructions Not Included " has taken in $44.9 million through Oct. 27. More important, "Instructions" has also been a hit in the U.S. for Lionsgate-Televisa joint venture Pantelion Films, grossing $44.0 million through Oct. 30 in the States - making it the second-highest-grossing foreign-language film of all time.
For Mexico, class comedy "Nobles" and fish-out-of-water dramedy "Instructions" mark a kind of watershed, Derbez said. "The industry is realizing people want to see Mexican movies; we just need to give them what they want to see."
While producer Monica Lozano of Mexico City-based Alebrije Cine y Video, which produced "Instructions," cautioned that two movies don't establish a trend, she also noted that the films' track records at the box office didn't happen by chance.
Leonardo Zimbron of shingle Filmadora Nacional, which produced "Nobles," said that the company has been learning from a decade of hits and misses. "(We're) working to understand our audience, (and) how (best) to release the films," he added.
Both of the pics are aimed at audiences that are normally overlooked by Hollywood tentpoles, which target the young-male demo.
"Instructions" stars popular Mexican TV star Derbez as a playboy left to care for his daughter, whom he comes to love. In "Nobles," a father fakes bankruptcy, forcing his adult slacker kids to get jobs, to their horror.
During his promotional tours for "Instructions," Derbez, who is repped in the U.S. by WME, said that he told people: "Normally, you can't go to cinema theaters with your son and abuelita (grandmother). But with this film, you can take everyone."
Pantelion's decision to launch "Instructions" Stateside was made based on several market conditions, said Televisa's Pantelion co-head, Fernando Perez Gavilan. One was that Latino audiences are underserved in the U.S. market. Another was that most movies with significant Latino characters somewhat stereotypically concentrate on immigration, gang and drug issues.
Derbez was also instrumental to the film's Stateside success. "I went to the U.S., did a huge campaign - my biggest ever," said the star. "I went to every city, every radio station, everywhere."
Meanwhile, Cinelatino released "Nobles" in the U.S. on Nov. 1 in several markets with large Hispanic populations, including Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston and Phoenix. The film plays in Spanish with English subtitles.
Helping pave the way for the impressive local B.O. returns of the two films, print runs exceeded those of a typical local release: "Nobles" went out on healthy 875 screens, while "Instructions," handled by Televisa's Videocine, opened on a massive 2,755 screens, the sixth-biggest run for any movie in Mexico this year.
Industry observers already see a growing ambition among Mexican commercial distribs. One of Pantelion's projects is set during World War II, and another involves NASA, said Perez Gavilan.
Also on deck: Alazraki is developing a "Nobles" sequel, again about Mexico's rich/poor divide. Derbez said he is mulling projects, and will decide on one shortly. Alebrije will go into production on a comedy soon, but won't divulge details. In April, Pantelion is set to release Diego Luna's U.S. activist biopic "Chavez: An American Hero."
Next year in Mexico, a trio of films looks to keep up the local B.O. momentum: Latam Pictures will release "Obediencia Perfecta," a drama in the vein of 2002 Gael Garcia Bernal starrer "The Crime of Father Amaro," about a priest's abuse of his ward. ("Amaro" had been Mexico's top-grossing film until this year, with almost $16 million, and an additional $5.7 million in the U.S.) Latam and Videocine will release "Mas negro que la noche" from "Nobles" producer Filmadora Nacional - the pic is dubbed Mexico's first true stereoscopic 3D movie. And Fox will bow "El crimen de Cacaro Gumaro," targeting families with a film that toplines Andres Bustamante, one of Mexico's biggest TV comedians.
The producers of "Mas negro que la noche" are negotiating a U.S. distribution deal but are mum on details, while the other fi lms may hit the U.S. if they do boffo B.O. in Mexico.
Meanwhile, Pantelion's "Pulling Strings," a romantic comedy about love between a mariachi and an uptight U.S. embassy staffer, has cumed $5.6 million in the U.S. through Oct. 31 since its Oct. 4 release. Televisa's distribution arm Videocine will bow the pic in Mexico on Nov. 8.
Televisa certainly thinks it has the business model nailed.
"We are making movies that we make sure work in both markets," Perez Gavilan said. " 'Pulling Strings' is a smaller movie, but even if we make $7 million, or $8 million, it's huge."
In success, expect more cross-border hits. "Right now, there's only one path into the U.S., through Pantelion. No one else is taking risks," Zimbron said. "But now that good results are coming in, there will be others."
(Pictured: Eugenio Derbez portrays a playboy left to care for his daughter in "Instructions Not Included," which has minted $44 million in the U.S.)
Ender's Game Tops US Box Office On Opening Weekend
Sci-fi adventure Ender's Game has battled its way to the top of the US box office chart in its debut weekend.
The film, which is set on a future dystopian Earth where children are manipulated into fighting an enemy race, racked up an impressive $28m (£17.5m), according to estimates.
The blockbuster sum meant that Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, about an 86-year-old man who takes his eight-year-old grandson on a road trip across the United States, was pushed to second place just a week after hitting the number one spot.
Ender's Game, based on Orson Scott Card's novel of the same name published in 1985, stars Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin, a young boy singled out from childhood for his superior intellect.
He is multiplied and put through advanced warfare training by Colonel Graff, played by Harrison Ford
"It's about young people being asked to accept huge responsibilities, being trained for warfare because it's proposed that they have this capacity to absorb information more quickly than older people," Ford told Reuters.
Last Vegas, which stars Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, opened in third place, with $16.5 million.
Children's animation Free Birds debuted in fourth spot with takings of $16.2m (£10.1m).
Gravity, now in its fifth week, held on to fifth place after banking $13.1 million over the weekend.
The Space thriller, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, has made a domestic total of $220 million to date.
Box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Rentrak said: "It's interesting to see the number of stars that are not in their 20s in the top films.
"Ender's Game has Harrison Ford and Viola Davis, and Last Vegas is like a Hangover for the older crowd. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney - in Gravity - appeal to an older audience, and 12 Years a Slave... is a very sophisticated drama."
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Wednesday, 6 November 2013
Ender's Game Wins U.S. Box Office; Thor Crushes Overseas Competition
The long-awaited sci-fi saga Ender's Game rocketed to the top of the U.S. box office, but Thor: The Dark World may have been the true star of the weekend.
Ender's Game netted an estimated $28 million through Sunday, but Thor posted the fourth-highest international debut this year with $109.4 million.
Thor hits theaters in the U.S. this coming weekend, and if that the international haul is any indication, you can expect a debut that far eclipses Ender's.
For Ender's Game, the start comes as something of a disappointment, considering the expectations and the film's $110 million production budget.
In second place domestically was Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, which saw a better-than-expected hold, down just 36 percent from a big debut.
Landing in third place domestically, the adult-targeted Last Vegas came in a bit higher than expected, with roughly $16.5 million in three days.
Here's this week's U.S. box office Top 10 (with week of release):
Ender's Game (1): $28.0 million Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2): $20.5 million Last Vegas (1): $16.5 million Free Birds (1): $16.2 million Gravity (5): $13.1 million Captain Phillips (4): $8.5 million 12 Years a Slave (3): $4.6 million Cloudy ... With Meatballs 2 (6): $4.2 million Carrie (3): $3.4 million The Counselor (2): $3.3 million
Here's an early look at next weekend's box office winner ...
Monday, 4 November 2013
Ender's Game Tops The US Box Office Raking In $28 Million
US cinemagoers have swapped slapstick for sci-fi this weekend as Ender's Game has knocked Bad Grandpa off the top of the US box office.
Ender's Game, which stars Harrison Ford, has shot straight to the top of the US box office (WENN)
The intergalactic adventure starring Harrison Ford took $28 million in its opening weekend, pushing Johnny Knoxville as a naughty pensioner into second place, according to studio estimates.
Ender's Game is based on the novel by Orson Scott Card and stars Ford and Asa Butterfield as space soldiers.
The opening weekend's takings met studio Lionsgate's expectations, even some calling for a boycott of the film due to comments made by Card expressing opposition to gay marriage.
Ender's Game, which stars Harrison Ford, has shot straight to the top of the US box office (WENN)But despite its success, the film's sales didn't match other opening weekends of other young-adult adaptations such as Twilight and The Hunger Games.
Bad Grandpa, which stars Jackass's Johnny Knoxville disguised as an 86-year-old man travelling across the US with his eight-year-old grandson, brought in an additional $20.5 million in its second weekend, and $6 million in international ticket sales.
However, other films opening in the US this weekend didn't generate as much enthusiasm, especially those starring silver screen veterans.
Last Vegas, for example, which has a stellar cast including Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, opened in third place, with $16.5 million. Box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Rentrak said: "It's interesting to see the number of stars that are not in their 20s in the top films.
"Ender's Game' has Harrison Ford and Viola Davis, and Last Vegas is like a Hangover for the older crowd."
Space thriller Gravity, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, holds on to fifth place in the US box office and banked $13.1 million over the weekend, bringing its domestic total to $220 million.
It also fared well around the world with international takings of $27.1 million.
It was also a good internation weekend for Thor: The Dark World, which took an impressive $109.4 million in its first weekend before the Marvel superhero sequel opens in the States next weekend.
Bad Grandpa Knocks Gravity Off The Top Of The US Box Office
By Georgina Littlejohn On October 28, 2013
A comedy about a pensioner and his grandson has knocked George Clooney off the top of the US box office after Bad Grandpa stormed in this weekend.
The Jackass spin-off took in $32 million (£19.7 million) in its debut weekend, forcing Gravity, starring Clooney and Sandra Bullock, down to second place.
Bad Grandpa sees Jackass star Johnny Knoxville disguised as an 86-year-old man who travels across the US with his eight-year-old grandson playing tricks on people along the way.
Forecasters had expected the movie to debut with about $25 million (£15.4 million) so are delighted with the higher takings.
Johnny Knoxville's Bad Grandpa has knocked Gravity off the top of the US box office (WENN)Don Harris, Paramount's president of theatrical distribution, said it was a "spectacular result" and that the movie was "playing much more like a regular comedy than like a 'Jackass' movie," with audiences comprised of more women and older moviegoers than the previous Jackass film.
He said: "The audience wasn't just a bunch of teenagers."
Science fiction thriller Gravity took in $20.3 million (£12.3 million) in its fourth week of release while Tom Hanks's new movie, Captain Phillips, fell one spot to No. 3 after bringing in $11.8 million (£7.2 million).
Ridley Scott's The Counselor only came in fourth place with a mere $8 million (£4.9 million) in its opening weekend, while animation Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 held steady at No. 5 with $6.1 million (£3.2 million) in takings.
Sylvester Stallone's new movie Escape Plan took $4.3 million (£2.6 million) and 12 Years a Slave shot up eight spots to eighth place, bringing in $2.15 million (£1.5 million).
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Predictions Place Thor: The Dark World As The Top Contender For The US ...
Thor: The Dark World is nearing its US release - Friday, November 8th, as the primary contender for the weekend box office. In the UK, where the movie was released last week, it raked in an impressive £8.65 on opening night and £5.54 over its first weekend. Those are impressive numbers and nearly double those of the movie in second place, but the film's overall European takings are even more stunning. The film was a number 1 release in several countries, including France, Germany and Spain taking $109.4 million worldwide in its first weekend.
Thor: The Dark World tracks the struggles and enemies that Marvel's Thor has to face,following the events of The Avengers (or The Avengers Assemble in the UK.) Starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, the film also boasts a star-studded British cast, including Tom Hiddleston, who returns as Loki, Idris Elba, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Christopher Eccleston in his debut appearance within the franchise. While a lot of the story takes place on Asgard, several key scenes from the movie were filmed on location in London.
According to the tracking numbers (via The Hollywood Reporter) The Dark World is predicted to take in around $75 million in its domestic opening weekend, however the buzz created by the early international release is likely to boost those numbers even higher. This would mark another victory for Marvel, with Iron Man 3, released in May, having passed the $1 billion mark to become the highest grossing release of 2013.
Watch the extended trailer for Thor: The Dark World below.
'Ender's Game' battles to US, Canada box office win
Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni
Cast members Ben Kingsley poses at the premiere of ''Ender's Game'' at the TCL Chinese theatre in Hollywood, California October 28, 2013. The movie opens in the U.S. on November 1.
Based on a best-selling 1985 novel, "Ender's Game" collected $28 million in ticket sales over its first three days, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
Raunchy comedy "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa," which topped last weekend's charts, dropped to second place with $20.5 million. "Last Vegas" debuted in the No. 3 spot, grabbing $16.5 million.
Elsewhere, Marvel action hero Thor hammered into international theaters for sequel "Thor: The Dark World," hauling in $109.4 million from Wednesday through Sunday, distributor Walt Disney Co said. The movie debuts in the United States and Canada on Friday.
"Ender's Game" stars Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin, a young boy who is singled out for his superior intellect and put through advanced warfare training. Harrison Ford plays Colonel Graff, the man who isolates Ender from his comrades and manipulates him into commanding a war.
The movie is the latest adaptation of a young adult novel brought to the big screen by studios hoping to start a new blockbuster franchise like "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games."
"Ender's Game" finished in line with projections from box office analysts, who forecast a $25 million to $30 million start. The movie was produced for $110 million by Lions Gate Entertainment's Summit Entertainment studio, Oddlot Entertainment and visual effects company Digital Domain.
More than half - 54 percent - of the audience was over age 25, making its appeal to younger moviegoers and potential for a sequel less clear.
"It looks like 'Ender's Game' is one-and-done," said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co., noting that with next week's big domestic opening of "Thor" "there won't be much of the box office pie left for 'Ender's Game.'"
A-LIST CAST
"Last Vegas" stars an A-list cast of Oscar-winning actors Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, playing four lifelong friends who reunite for a bachelor party. Mary Steenburgen plays a Vegas lounge singer in the movie, produced by CBS Films, a unit of CBS Corp, with a small budget of $28 million.
Studio officials said they were thrilled that the movie, which received an A-plus CinemaScore rating from people who had seen it, also exceeded its pre-opening tracking estimates.
"Free Birds," featuring the voices of Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, debuted in fourth place, ringing up $16.2 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters. The 3D movie tells the story of two turkeys that travel back in time to stop the birds from becoming the main course at Thanksgiving dinner.
The film, which cost $55 million to make, was co-financed by privately held Relativity Media and Reel FX Animation Studios.
Rounding out the charts, 3D space thriller "Gravity" pulled in $13.1 million. The movie's worldwide total through Sunday topped $425 million, according to Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc. "Bad Grandpa," released by Viacom Inc unit Paramount Pictures, brought its total to $62.1 million through two weekends.
"Escape Plan," the prison-escape thriller teaming Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, fell out of the top 10 to No. 11 in only its third week in release, with $2.3 million in receipts for a total of $21.6 million.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine and Chris Michaud.; Editing by Christopher Wilson)
Jackass film Bad Grandpa trumps at US box office
Johnny Knoxville's raunchy comedy Bad Grandpa has ended Gravity's three-week run at the top of the US box office.
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, about an 86-year-old and his eight-year-old grandson, opened with $32m (£19.7m).
Gravity, which starrs Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, as astronauts adrift in space took $20.3m (£12.5m)
It was followed by Tom Hanks' hostage drama Captain Phillips which earned $11.8m (£7.2m). Ridley Scott's star-studded The Counsellor came fourth.
Starring Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt, The Counsellor is about a greedy lawyer who turns to drug trafficking.
Written by No Country for Old Men author Cormac McCarthy, it brought in $8m (£5m) over the weekend - one of the worst openings on record for a Ridley Scott film.
US box office top five Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa - $32 million Gravity - $20.3 million Captain Phillips - $11.8 million The Counsellor - $8 million Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 - $6.1 million Source: Hollywood.com
The weekend's fifth place finisher, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2, earned $6.1m (£3.8m) - bringing its total takings to $100.6m (£62.2m).
Gravity, meanwhile, has now earned $199.8m (£123.6m) in North America.
Elsewhere in the chart, the latest film adaptation of the Stephen King's supernatural horror tale, Carrie fell to sixth place.
Starring Chloe Grace Moretz, the film, about an outcast high school girl out for revenge, earned $5.9m (£3.6m).
It was followed by Escape Plan, with Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger as inmates trying to break out of the world's most secure prison. It made $4.3m (£2.6m).
British director Steve McQueen's 12 years a Slave, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last month, took $2.2m (£1.4m); while romantic comedy Enough Said, starring the late Sopranos star James Gandolfini, earned $1.6m (£990,000) to fill the ninth spot.
Rounding off the top 10 was Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal's thriller Prisoners, taking $1.1m (£680,000).
Despite a restrictive certification and playing on just four screens, the controversial French film and Cannes Palme d'Or winner Blue is the Warmest Colour, earned a $101,000 (£62,000).
The figure amounted to an impressive per screen average of $25,279 (£15,642).
'Ender's Game' Opens At Top Of US Box Office With $28 Million
The Sci-fi action film 'Ender's Game' tops the US box office on its opening weekend, raking in $28 million, according to Box Office Mojo. The adaptation of Orson Scott Card's sci-fi novel of the same name was released on Friday (Nov 1st), and while it received a mixed reception, it did not totally flop in US theatres. Although it is at no.1, the film needs to rapidly increase its domestic takings to justify its $110 million budget.
'Ender's Game', directed by Gavin Hood, stars Asa Butterfield as a gifted boy, who is sent to military school in space to train for a future alien invasion, called 'Andrew 'Ender' Wiggin. The youngster stars alongside Hollywood legend, Harrison Ford, who plays the role of 'Colonel Graff', the leader of the military school who sees something in 'Ender', a hope to end all wars.
The cast also includes Ben Kingsley (Iron Man 3) Viola Davis (The Help) Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) and Abigail Breslin (The Call).
Read Contact Music's review of 'Ender's Game' here
The space thriller overtook Johnny Knoxville's 'Bad Grandpa' for the top spot as the new 'Jackass' spin-off claimed the top position on its debut with an impressive $32 million. In its second week the hidden-camera comedy raked in a modest $20.5 million.
Hollywood's newest comedy 'Last Vegas', which features one of the most star studded cast in recent memories, hit theatres this Friday (Nov 1st) to an underwhelming reception. Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, who hit Sin City for one last bachelor party, came in 3rd position with a domestic taking of $16.5 million.
Box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Rentrak told the Associated Press, "Ender's Game' is a big budget movie that could be the start of a franchise." Adding, "This time of year is not exactly a hotbed of million-dollar openings, but once they launch worldwide, it will do well."
"It's interesting to see the number of stars that are not in their 20s in the top films," Dergarabedian said. "'Ender's Game' has Harrison Ford and Viola Davis, and 'Last Vegas' is like a 'Hangover' for the older crowd. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney (in 'Gravity') appeal to an older audience, and '12 Years a Slave,' which continues to impress as it expands into more and more theaters, is a very sophisticated drama."
Ender's Game is released in US cinemas Friday (1st November 2013). For audiences in the UK, the film has been out in cinemas since 25th October 2013.
Watch the 'Ender's Game' trailer here
The US Box-office list:
1. 'Ender's Game,' $28 million ($2 million international).
2. 'Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa,' $20.5 million ($6 million international).
3. 'Last Vegas,' $16.5 million.
4. 'Free Birds,' $16.2 million.
5. 'Gravity,' $13.1 million ($27.1 million international).
6. 'Captain Phillips,' $8.5 million ($10 million international).
7. '12 Years a Slave,' $4.6 million.
8. 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2,' $4.2 million ($11.5 million international).
9. 'Carrie,' $3.4 million ($1.6 million international).
10. 'The Counselor,' $2.3 million ($2.6 million international)
Sunday, 3 November 2013
'Ender's Game' Blasts To Top Of Weekend Box Office, 'Gravity' Tops $425 ...
This image released by Summit Entertainment shows Asa Butterfield, left, and Harrison Ford in a scene from "Ender's Game." (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Richard Foreman)
"Ender's Game," the futuristic story of children forced to fight an enemy race, battled to the top of box office charts in the United States and Canada, defeating senior citizen buddy comedy "Last Vegas" and animated turkey tale "Free Birds."
Based on a best-selling 1985 novel, "Ender's Game" collected $28 million in ticket sales over its first three days, according to studio estimates released on Sunday.
Raunchy comedy "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa," which topped last weekend's charts, dropped to second place with $20.5 million. "Last Vegas" debuted in the No. 3 spot, grabbing $16.5 million.
Elsewhere, Marvel action hero Thor hammered into international theaters for sequel "Thor: The Dark World," hauling in $109.4 million from Wednesday through Sunday, distributor Walt Disney Co said. The movie debuts in the United States and Canada on Friday.
"Ender's Game" stars Asa Butterfield as Ender Wiggin, a young boy who is singled out for his superior intellect and put through advanced warfare training. Harrison Ford plays Colonel Graff, the man who isolates Ender from his comrades and manipulates him into commanding a war.
The movie is the latest adaptation of a young adult novel brought to the big screen by studios hoping to start a new blockbuster franchise like "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games."
"Ender's Game" finished in line with projections from box office analysts, who forecast a $25 million to $30 million start. The movie was produced for $110 million by Lions Gate Entertainment's Summit Entertainment studio, Oddlot Entertainment and visual effects company Digital Domain.
More than half - 54 percent - of the audience was over age 25, making its appeal to younger moviegoers and potential for a sequel less clear.
"It looks like 'Ender's Game' is one-and-done," said Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co., noting that with next week's big domestic opening of "Thor" "there won't be much of the box office pie left for 'Ender's Game.'"
"Last Vegas" stars an A-list cast of Oscar-winning actors Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, playing four lifelong friends who reunite for a bachelor party. Mary Steenburgen plays a Vegas lounge singer in the movie, produced by CBS Films, a unit of CBS Corp, with a small budget of $28 million.
Studio officials said they were thrilled that the movie, which received an A-plus CinemaScore rating from people who had seen it, also exceeded its pre-opening tracking estimates.
"Free Birds," featuring the voices of Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, debuted in fourth place, ringing up $16.2 million at North American (U.S. and Canadian) theaters. The 3D movie tells the story of two turkeys that travel back in time to stop the birds from becoming the main course at Thanksgiving dinner.
The film, which cost $55 million to make, was co-financed by privately held Relativity Media and Reel FX Animation Studios.
Rounding out the charts, 3D space thriller "Gravity" pulled in $13.1 million. The movie's worldwide total through Sunday topped $425 million, according to Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc. "Bad Grandpa," released by Viacom Inc unit Paramount Pictures, brought its total to $62.1 million through two weekends.
"Escape Plan," the prison-escape thriller teaming Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, fell out of the top 10 to No. 11 in only its third week in release, with $2.3 million in receipts for a total of $21.6 million.
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