Even despite a minuscule 21% week-to-week drop-off, ‘American Sniper’ was finally bumped out of the top box office spot in its fourth weekend of wide release. Who defeated it? A yellow man-child who lives in a pineapple under the sea.
The first ‘SpongeBob SquarePants Movie’ opened to $32 million in 2004. (Note: That’s without the added benefit of 3D ticket sales). More than ten years later, its sequel ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water‘ has stormed theaters and put the first one to shame with a $56 million domestic debut. The 3D ticket percentage has yet to be announced, but the film undoubtedly benefited from the costlier ticket prices. Overseas, the wacky family flick soaked up $26.8 million and still has yet to reach several major markets. How long do you think it will be before we see a third big-screen release?
With just a slight decline, Clint Eastwood’s ‘American Sniper‘ retained a high box office rank. It added another $24.1 million this weekend, finished in second place. The film now sits with a domestic total of $282.2 million. By this time next weekend, it will have crossed the $300 million mark, and has also earned $79 million overseas.
After being delayed for seven months – supposedly to allow extra post-production time for the visual effects – the Wachowskis’ expensive sci-fi fantasy ‘Jupiter Ascending‘ had a very lackluster opening. With a reported production budget of $176 million and who-knows-how-much spent on its aggressive marketing campaign, the $19 million domestic debut comes as a major blow. Overseas, the movie made $32.5 million, but it’s unlikely that international ticket sales will boost it enough to be a box office success. As bad as this opening seems, it’s not as bad as…
‘Seventh Son‘, which is said to have cost $97 million to produce, saw a much weaker debut than ‘Jupiter Ascending’. Originally planned to hit theaters in January 2014, the long-delayed fantasy flick opened in fourth place to just $7.1 million. In a pre-U.S. release, it already grossed $83 million overseas, but even then it’s still unlikely to become a box office success.
Despite ‘SpongeBob’ stealing some of its thunder, fellow family flick ‘Paddington‘ only dropped 35% in attendance in its fourth week, to round out the Top 5. Including this weekend’s $5.3 million earnings, the Peruvian bear has now brought in $57.2 million domestically and $150.8 million overseas.
Top 10:
1. ‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water’ (Paramount) – $56,000,000
2. ‘American Sniper’ (Warner Bros.) – $24,165,000
3. ‘Jupiter Ascending’ (Warner Bros.) – $19,000,000
4. ‘Seventh Son’ (Universal) – $7,101,000
5. ‘Paddington’ (Weinstein/Dimension) – $5,365,000
6. ‘Project Almanac’ (Paramount) – $5,330,000
7. ‘The Imitation Game’ (Weinstein) – $4,881,000
8. ‘The Wedding Ringer’ (Screen Gems) – $4,800,000
9. ‘Black or White’ (Relativity) – $4,520,000
10. ‘The Boy Next Door’ (Universal) – $4,101,000
NJScorpio
Having grown up with hand drawn animation, I have a real distaste for the dead feel a lot of CGI animation has (Pixar being the exception). I just generally dislike looking at nearly all of it.
But, I LOVE the look of this SpongeBob movie. I don’t watch the show, and I won’t be seeing it in theaters, but something about how well the lighting is done, with the real world backgrounds looks SO good. Like large vinyl figures.
David Strohmenger
Most of the movie is actually hand-drawn. The CGI characters in the real world is only the last third.
Shannon Nutt
I’ve never seen a single episode of SpongeBob.
There, I said it. 🙂
Martin
Shame on you, Shannon.
I used to love “The Sponge” and saw the first movie in the theater (@ the age of 18 ;)).
For this one I think I´ll wait till it hits 3D-BD, or not, I have a few days more to make up my mind, because here in germany the theatrical release is still 10 days away.
Chris B
I’ve never seen a single episode either. However I used to work with this older guy named Bob at my last shop who had an incredibly bad temper. Whenever something didn’t go just right he would start screaming obscenties and throwing things. We nicknamed him “Spaz-Bob Swear pants”. Lol.
William Henley
I’m fairly interested in seeing the Spongebob movie. If Jupiter Ascending and Seventh Son hadn’t of just opened, I would probably go see Spongebob. I was busy all last week and weekend, so I may go catch one of those movies Thursday and another Friday, but I doubt I will make it to all three.
EM
As discussed last week, this past Saturday I attended a Blade Runner marathon: the original theatrical cut, the “director’s” cut, and the “final” cut.
It was a lot of fun! Confession time: Blade Runner has never been a favorite of mine. I’d seen it a few times, because I liked and admired it, but I was never quite a fan per se.
So why did I go? The triple viewing seemed like an interesting experience. Also, for various reasons my viewings of the various cuts had never been on the big screen.
The results? I feel I appreciate the film a little more, both in general and in these individual cuts, which I had previously seen only several years apart. It’s strange how, by the third screening, the film was feeling like an old friend. If you haven’t seen the film on the big screen—or haven’t in a while—do so when you can. Flying shots over futuristic Los Angeles (in just under five years, heh) actually gave me slight vertigo, which is a good thing. This is really the way to see the movie, more so than for a lot of movies.
Of course, some things I don’t like about the movie were given full airing, too. Sorry, but I’ll never buy the “chemistry” between Deckard and Rachael, no matter how many times I see it or how larger-than-life it’s projected.
I was not alone in giving the movie some appreciation this weekend. Turnout was good, albeit not totally packed, for the original and director’s cuts; the final cut was shown on two consecutive nights, and both those showings were sold out.
Chris B
Hey man, thanks for the post! Glad you had a good time. Iagree Blade Runner isn’t a perfect movie and some elements don’t work as well as they should. Still love though! 🙂
EM
In movies as in people, perfection is not a prerequisite for love, and indeed it is the imperfections that forge the shape and mettle of our love.