Will Smith puts his Focus on #1!
Will Smith charmed his way to the top this weekend, putting FOCUS in first place at the box office with an estimated $19.1 million!
The new con-artist romance (from CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE team Glenn Ficarra and John Requa) was Smith's first R-rated release since BAD BOYS II back in 2003. Smith's last movie, the big-budget sci-fi flop AFTER EARTH, started with $27.5 million on its first weekend in May 2013.
Smith and co-star Margot Robbie's twisty crime comedy (which had a reported cost of $50 million) didn't exactly swindle the approval of critics, who gave it a 56% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Moviegoers handed the movie a 'B' CinemaScore.
Holding second place was director Matthew Vaughn's KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE with $11.7 million. Though it cost over $80 million, the R-rated spy slaughter has hit $209 million worldwide so a sequel isn't outside the realm of possibility. It was followed again in third by THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER with another $11.2 million.
After tying up first place for two weeks, FIFTY SHADES OF GREY dropped to fourth with $10.9 million. Although audiences may no longer be quite as enamored with the pleasure/pain romance, the bestseller adaptation is approaching the half-billion mark for its worldwide total.
Opening in fifth place was the new PG-13 horror movie THE LAZARUS EFFECT with $10.6 million (on a meager $3.5 million cost). Despite an interesting cast (Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Donald Glover), the resurrection thriller couldn't scare up much support from critics (14% on Rotten Tomatoes) or crowds ('C-' CinemaScore).
In sixth was Kevin Costner's inspirational sports drama MCFARLAND USA with $7.7 million, shuffling down 29% from its opening last weekend. AMERICAN SNIPER was in seventh with $7.7 million over the post-Oscar weekend, still on target to shoot past GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 within the next week to become the highest-grossing 2014 release.
The high-school comedy THE DUFF was in eighth place with $7.1 million (a 31% drop from its opening last week), while star Julianne Moore's Oscar victory helped the Alzheimer's drama STILL ALICE onto the list at ninth with $2.6 million, followed by the gurgling comedy sequel HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2.
Outside the chart, PADDINGTON, THE IMITATION GAME and JUPITER ASCENDING descended out of the Top 10. Best Picture winner BIRDMAN got an 800 screen bump for $1.9 million long after it began to fade, and Best Animated Feature winner BIG HERO 6 has now collected $572.1 million worldwide.
Next weekend brings DISTRICT 9 director Neill Blomkamp's R-rated robot adventure CHAPPIE, the elder romcom sequel THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, and the R-rated Vince Vaughn comedy UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
Which March release are you most interested in seeing? VOTE HERE!
| # | MOVIE TITLE | WKND $ | TOTAL $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Focus | $19.1 M | NEW |
| 2 | Kingsman: The Secret Service | $11.7 M | $85.6 M |
| 3 | The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water | $11.2 M | $140.3 M |
| 4 | Fifty Shades of Grey | $10.9 M | $147.7 M |
| 5 | The Lazarus Effect | $10.6 M | NEW |
| 6 | American Sniper | $7.7 M | $331.1 M |
| 7 | McFarland USA | $7.7 M | $21.9 M |
| 8 | The DUFF | $7.1 M | $20 M |
| 9 | Still Alice | $2.6 M | $11.9 M |
| 10 | Hot Tub Time Machine 2 | $2.4 M | $10.2 M |