Weekend Box Office Report: March 20-22, 2015

Insurgent surges to the top!

Audiences went to the dystopian future this weekend, putting THE DIVERGENT SERIES: INSURGENT at #1 with an estimated $54 million!

The sequel, based on Veronica Roth's young-adult books, brings back Shailene Woodley as the Bieber-haired heroine of  post-apocalyptic Chicago. The second of four planned films in the series has started out by almost exactly tying the opening of DIVERGENT on this same weekend last year, and has passed $100 million globally. The first release went on to $150.9 million domestic and $288.7 million worldwide.

The latest chapter (which cost a reported $110 million compared to DIVERGENT's $85 million budget) marks a rebound for director Robert Schwentke from his last effort R.I.P.D., which flopped with a $33.6 million domestic total in July 2013. INSURGENT is currently averaging a 32% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and moviegoers gave it a decent 'A-' CinemaScore.

Disney's live-action CINDERELLA elegantly stepped down to second place with $34.4 million (a 49% drop from its opening) for a 10-day domestic total of $122 million. The classic fairy tale is also up to $253 million worldwide.

Sean Penn's attempt to challenge Liam Neeson's crown in the aging action star category was met with indifference as THE GUNMAN opened in fourth place with $5 million. That's just below Neeson's own entry RUN ALL NIGHT in third with $5.1 million on its second weekend (down 53% from its opening).

Putting Penn together with Neeson's TAKEN director Pierre Morel clearly didn't have similar box office results (although THE GUNMAN was rated R and TAKEN was PG-13). Critics shot down Penn's mercenary activities with 14% on Rotten Tomatoes, and crowds gave it a 'B-' CinemaScore.

In fifth was KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE with $4.6 million on its sixth weekend in the top half of the chart as it also takes aim at a $300 million worldwide total. It was followed in sixth place by the new religious-themed drama DO YOU BELIEVE? with a $4 million opening on 1300 screens.

THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL slipped a spot to seventh with $3.4 million, followed closely by Will Smith's FOCUS. Neill Blomkamp's CHAPPIE and THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER finished out the list.

Outside the chart, MCFARLAND USA and THE DUFF were displaced, while the buzzed horror movie IT FOLLOWS crept onto 32 screens for a $576k total (it expands to 1000 locations next weekend, bypassing its planned VOD release). Disney's BIG HERO 6 may be long gone from North American theaters but it's currently ratcheting up solid business from international audiences, now at $644 million worldwide.

Next weekend brings Dreamworks Animation's misfit adventure HOME, Will Ferrell teams with Kevin Hart for the R-rated comedy GET HARD, and Ben Stiller reunites with his GREENBERG director Noah Baumbach for WHILE WE'RE YOUNG.

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