It was the minions ruling the box office for the second weekend in a row, while Adam Sandler got a much needed hit and Pacific Rim opened right in line with my expectations.
Despicable Me 2 earned $44.8 million to remain at the top spot in its sophomore frame. This was right in line with my $45.3M projection. The animated sequel has earned a fantastic $229 million so far and looks to soar well past the $300 million mark.
It was Adam Sandler and his buddies that outdid my expectations. The star’s first ever sequel, Grown Ups 2, grossed an impressive $42.5 million for second place, well above my modest $32.3M estimate. This is great news for Sandler, who needed a hit after the back to back flops Jack and Jill and That’s My Boy.
Giullermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim had to settle for third with a so-so $38.3 million debut, which was right in range with my $39.7M projection. The big budget monster flick will need hefty international grosses and strong legs domestically to get into profitability mode.
Rounding out the top five, The Heat was fourth with $14 million (I said $14.2M) and The Lone Ranger fell even further than I figured in its second weekend with $11.1 million (I said $13.8M).
Be sure to check the blog starting later today when I’ll do posts projecting the openings of four (yes, four) new entries for next weekend: Turbo, The Conjuring, Red 2, and R.I.P.D. Stay tuned!
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