‘Rampage’.
Dwayne Johnson has played the lead in 20 films which have racked up $US4.3 billion at cinemas worldwide, most recently with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
The former wrestler’s star power might partly explain why Rampage opened at No. 1 in the US, Australia and about 60 other markets last weekend – despite being ridiculed by some critics as brainless, mushy and by-the-numbers.
Even so, Warner Bros’ mash-up of action, adventure, sci-fi and fantasy inspired by the Rampage videogame did not reach great heights anywhere except China, where it grabbed $55 million.
The top 20 titles in Oz harvested almost $17 million, up 12 per cent on the previous weekend according to Numero. Decent debuts by Truth of Dare and Isle of Dogs plus remarkably strong holdover business for Peter Rabbit and A Quiet Place helped keep cinemas busy.
Directed by Brad Peyton, the movie starring Johnson as a primatologist who bonds with George, an extraordinarily intelligent, silverback gorilla who turns into a raging monster, minted $3.1 million here plus $US35.7 million in the US and $US114.1 million internationally.
Given the estimated production budget of $120 million and a global P&A spend of $140 million, it is uncertain whether the film which co-stars Naomie Harris, Malin Akerman, Jake Lacy and Joe Manganiello will recoup before Disney unleashes Avengers: Infinity War on April 26.
Sony/Animal Logic Entertainment’s Peter Rabbit raced along to $19.2 million after collecting $2.5 million in its fourth frame, easing by just 13 per cent. The live-action/CGI animated family film directed by Will Gluck has amassed $US298.2 million worldwide, including $184.4M internationally.
Directed by and co-starring John Krasinski, A Quiet Place mustered $2.3 million in its second weekend, down a mere 2 per cent, climbing to $6 million. The Paramount hit has collared $99 million in the US and $51.7 million in the rest of the world, with France, Spain, Japan and China ahead.
Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One rang up $1.6 million in its third lap, down by 37 per cent, making $11.4 million thus far for Roadshow. The sci-fi action adventure starring Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, Simon Pegg, and Mark Rylance has scored a mediocre $114.9 million in the US but a far more impressive $360.2 million internationally.
Director Kay Cannon’s raunchy comedy Blockers has clocked a tidy $8.6 million for Universal after taking $1.1 million in its third weekend, falling by 34 per cent.
Universal/Blumhouse Productions’ supernatural thriller Truth or Dare fetched $1.6 million on 209 screens, a decent per-screen average of $5,100. Directed by Jeff Wadlow, the film budgeted at $3.5 million, which features Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, Violett Beane, Nolan Gerard Funk and Hayden Szeto, drummed up $18.6 million in the US.
Wes Anderson’s futuristic, stop motion animated Isle of Dogs drew $839,000 on 123 screens and $923,000 including previews for Fox. That’s a good start considering the Japan-set saga of a boy’s odyssey in search of his dog, featuring a voice cast led by Bill Murray, Bryan Cranston, Kunichi Nomura and Edward Norton, has grossed $18.9 million in the US.
After misfiring in the US, Paramount’s CGI animated film Sherlock Gnomes predictably is struggling, taking $845,000 in its second weekend wide, to reach $3.3 million.
Fox’s Love, Simon, a gay coming-of-age romance directed by Greg Berlanti, advanced to $4.6 million after earning $649,000 in its third outing.
Another US dud, Ava Du Vernay’s adventure fantasy A Wrinkle in Time has scraped up $3.2 million after taking $498,000 in its third weekend for Disney.
Released by Madman Entertainment, Sally Potter’s The Party, a black and white relationships movie starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Timothy Spall, generated a respectable $174,000 on 30 screens and $422,000 with previews and festival screenings.