Weekend Box Office Report: March 6-8, 2015

Chappie is happy to take #1!

Audiences wanted to see artificial intelligence in action this weekend, putting CHAPPIE on top at the box office with an estimated $13.3 million!

Filmmaker Neill Blomkamp's violent R-rated robot adventure led a sluggish weekend and battled an unfavorable critical response of 30% on Rotten Tomatoes (crowds gave it a 'B' CinemaScore). With a reported budget of $50 million, CHAPPIE cost less than half of his last movie ELYSIUM, which opened with $29.8 million in August of 2013. Blomkamp's impressive debut DISTRICT 9 started out with $37.3 million (on a $30 million cost).

Will Smith's R-rated caper comedy FOCUS slipped to second place with $10 million, a drop of 46% from its opening last weekend. The new romantic comedy sequel THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL opened in third with $8.6 million — better than the $6.3 million wide release of the first movie, which went on to $136 million worldwide. Critics gave the PG-rated follow-up a passable rating (64% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences gave it a 'B+' CinemaScore.

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE was in fourth place with $8.3 million after a month in theaters. Matthew Vaughn's R-rated spy actioner is just about to hit $100 million domestic and $250 million worldwide. THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER was after it yet again with another $7 million as the animated kid flick is now at $259 million globally.

The bondage romance FIFTY SHADES OF GREY moved down to sixth with $5.6 million, and has now reached a $527.7 million worldwide total. Kevin Costner's sports drama MCFARLAND USA was running close behind with $5.3 million, followed by the low-budget horror movie THE LAZARUS EFFECT with $5.1 million and the high-school comedy THE DUFF with $4.8 million.

Vince Vaughn's new R-rated comedy UNFINISHED BUSINESS barely made it onto the list, opening down in tenth with $4.8 million — a career low for a Vaughn-fronted comedy, even worse than the $7.9 million debut of 2013's DELIVERY MAN. The raunchy European trip (also featuring Dave Franco and Tom Wilkinson) earned a dismal 13% critic average on Rotten Tomatoes, and a 'B-' CinemaScore from moviegoers.

Outside the chart, AMERICAN SNIPER has officially become the highest grossing release of 2014 as it finally exited the Top 10 after seven weeks. HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 also departed along with Oscar-winner Julianne Moore's drama STILL ALICE, although that and BIRDMAN are still enjoying some degree of post-awards business along with Disney's BIG HERO 6, which just passed $600 million worldwide.

Next weekend has Liam Neeson doing more damage in RUN ALL NIGHT, plus Disney's live-action CINDERELLA and the limited releases of festival fave horror movie IT FOLLOWS and the black comedy HOME SWEET HELL.

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