The Wolverine made mincemeat of the fire-breathing monster at Australian cinemas last weekend.
Meanwhile Jennifer Kent’s spooky The Babadook had a respectable opening on the back of positive reviews and copious publicity since its world premiere at Sundance.
Bryan Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, grabbed $8.4 million in the best debut yet for the seven-film franchise. That’s also the biggest opening of the year so far, a tribute to the star power of Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, and Peter Dinklage as the villain.
The mutants cut Godzilla down to size as Warner Bros.’ action adventure plunged by 64% to $2.5 million, scoring $10.8 million in 11 days. Takings overall improved by 10% to $15.6 million, according to Rentrak’s estimates.
The Babadook, which stars Essie Davis as a single mother who has to cope with her troubled son (newcomer Noah Wiseman) and the monster that takes over their home, collected $48,000 at 13 screens, and $69,000 with previews.
“The figures are bang on expectations: the screen averages are solid, particularly given the screens and sessions we have,” said Umbrella’s Richard Moore.
Craig Monahan’s Healing advanced to $292,000 after earning $51,000 in its third weekend and Sophie Hyde’s 52 Tuesdays has grossed $123,000 after its fourth outing.
Comedies Bad Neighbours and The Other Woman continue to show strong legs in their third and fifth weekends, reaching $14.6 million and $19.5 million respectively. Almost no one predicted The Other Woman would obliterate The Amazing Spider-Man 2's $15.8 million or that it might overtake Captain America 2's $19.8 million.
The other openers ranged from OK to terrible. Scottish musical Sunshine on Leith whistled up a moderate $158,000 on 50 screens.
Son of God, a big screen version of History Channel's The Bible mini-series, struck a chord with devout cinemagoers in the US, grossing $60 million, but Aussies were unmoved judging by the paltry $78,000 debut on 90 screens, and $84,000 with previews.
Ida, director Pawel Pawlikowski’s drama about a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland who discovers a dark family secret dating from the Nazi occupation, fetched $36,000 at six screens.
Brick Mansions, a remake of 2006 French movie District B13, may be remembered as the last movie Paul Walker completed before he died last November, but probably not for long. The actioner featuring Walker as an undercover cop in Detroit who strives to prevent a neutron bomb from detonating downtown, was a true bomb, scraping up $1,780 on 10 screens.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE May 22-25
|
|
Title |
Week/ Screens |
Box Office |
% +- |
Total
|
|
1 |
X-Men: Days of Future Past |
1/684 |
$8,367,455 |
NA |
$8,450,124 |
|
2 |
Godzilla |
2/492 |
2,446,001 |
-64 |
10,876,472 |
|
3 |
Bad Neighbours |
5/318 |
1,829,691 |
-42 |
14,613,203 |
|
4 |
The Other Woman |
6/244 |
617,572 |
-39 |
19,503,832 |
|
5 |
The Grand Budapest Hotel |
7/240 |
359,037 |
-36 |
11,131,221 |
|
6 |
Chef |
3/222 |
358,687 |
-41 |
2,352,926 |
|
7 |
Belle |
3/106 |
232,215 |
-20 |
1,166,576 |
|
8 |
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 |
6/174 |
204,374 |
-57 |
15,835,301 |
|
9 |
The LEGO Movie |
8/212 |
163,629 |
-39 |
29,550,574 |
|
10 |
Sunshine on Leith |
1/50 |
157,892 |
NA |
162,046 |
Source: Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia