The follow-up to Magic Mike lacks numerous elements that helped make the original a global hit: director Steven Soderbergh, Matthew McConaughey, the semblance of a plot and a modicum of wit and intelligence.
None of that seems to bother the Australian females and some blokes who are flocking to Magic Mike XXL.
The raunchy comedy directed by Gregory Jacobs whipped up about $1 million from last Monday night’s arena premiere in Sydney and Wednesday’s Chicks at the Flicks screenings at Event Cinemas.
The film starring Channing Tatum, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez, Amber Heard and Jada Pinkett Smith raked in $4.1 million from Thursday to Sunday, ranked in third place, so the cume is $5.1 million.
That’s a stronger debut than Magic Mike, which took $3.8 million in its first weekend and finished with $12.5 million in 2012.
The original saga of the Kings of Tampa, also written by Reid Carolin, cost just $7 million and amassed $167 million at cinemas worldwide, so a sequel seemed inevitable.
Australian B.O receipts slipped by 4% to a robust $20.9 million last weekend according to Rentrak, as Disney’s Inside Out overtook Universal’s Minions to take the top spot for the first time.
In their fourth weekends Inside Out rang up $4.3 million as it climbed to $25 million while Minions fetched $4.2 million to reach $27.8 million.
Last weekend’s champ, Paramount’s Terminator: Genisys, tumbled by 40% to $2.8 million, scoring $10.5 million in 11 days.
Universal’s Jurassic World is showing remarkable stamina, devouring $2.7 million in its fifth outing (easing by 24%) as it ascended to $49.1 million and could peak at $55 million.
Fox’s Far from the Madding Crowd continues to draw sizable crowds, collecting $431,000 in its third weekend on 113 screens (down 20%), boosting the total to $2.2 million.
EOne’s Amy Winehouse documentary Amy is resonating strongly, whistling up $180,000 in its second chapter on 18 screens and $475,000 so far.
Transmission launched Madame Bovary, which stars Mia Wasikowska as the unhappy wife of a country doctor who resorts to profligate spending and extramarital affairs, adapted from Gustave Flaubert's 1857 novel, on 44 screens, generating a decent $154,000.