Zombies stalked Australian cinemas last weekend as World War Z topped the chart, raking in a juicy $6 million plus about $80,000 in previews.
The zombie thriller had a high profile thanks to the premiere attended by Brad Pitt and director Marc Forster, which followed months of media coverage as Paramount decided to spend an extra $20 million on reshoots.
The studio’s investment in a film budgeted at $US190 million (in real terms $150 million after location rebates) now looks pretty shrewd in light of the $US66 million US debut and $46 million opening haul in a bunch of other territories including Oz and the UK.
Here, the top 20’s box-office takings surged by 40% to $22 million in the lead up to school holidays. Universal/Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me 2 launched with a hearty $5 million, elevating its total to $7.2 million including previews.
Pixar’s Monster’s University, the sequel to Monsters, Inc., drew plenty of children, nabbing $3.8 million.
As the only Hollywood comedy for adults in the market, The Internship had a solid second weekend, advancing to $4.5 million.
Australian writer-director Catriona McKenzie’s Satellite Boy fetched $33,000 at 10 screens, a disappointing opening in light of the laudatory reviews and an extensive publicity campaign orchestrated by eOne Hopscotch.
The drama about an Aboriginal boy's quest to save his home, featuring newcomers Cameron Wallaby and Joseph Pedley and David Gulpilil, seemed to have generated a lot of goodwill since its premiere at the Toronto festival last year but Australian audiences have not responded in big numbers.
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE June 13-16
|
|
Title |
Week/ Screens |
Box Office |
% +- |
Total
|
|
1 |
World War Z |
1/464 |
$6,003,673 |
NA |
$6,087,980 |
|
2 |
Despicable Me 2 |
1/489 |
5,030,201 |
NA |
7,219,567 |
|
3 |
Monster’s University |
1/494 |
3,852,783 |
NA |
3,852,783 |
|
4 |
Fast & Furious 6 |
3/339 |
2,136,340 |
-54 |
23,438,363 |
|
5 |
The Great Gatsby |
4/419 |
1,850,775 |
-33 |
22,144,801 |
|
6 |
The Internship |
2/251 |
1,502,414 |
-35 |
4,542,672 |
|
7 |
After Earth |
2/254 |
757,376 |
-60 |
3,277,602 |
|
8 |
The Hangover Part 111 |
5/169 |
292,218 |
-65 |
20,793,472 |
|
9 |
Star Trek Into Darkness |
7/60 |
107,050 |
-57 |
16,171,250 |
|
10 |
The Reluctant Fundamentalist |
5/26 |
72,994 |
-23 |
626,418 |
Source: Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia