‘Expendables 2’ punches up second box office win
LOS ANGELES, Aug 27 — Action movie “Expendables 2” kept the No. 1 spot at US and Canadian box offices for a second week as two new films provided light competition during a slow movie-going weekend.
“Expendables 2” won the weekly race with US$13.5 million (RM41.5 million) in ticket sales from Friday through yesterday, according to studio estimates compiled by Reuters. The film, starring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and other 1980s tough guys, has pulled in US$52.3 million during two weekends in cinemas.
Cast member Nikolette Noel at the premiere of “The Expendables 2” at the Grauman’s Chinese theatre in Hollywood, August 15, 2012. — Reuters file picWith Hollywood’s big summer season winding down, studios did not release any superhero stories, sequels or big-budget blockbusters. New thriller “Premium Rush” finished seventh, taking in US$6.3 million, while comedy “Hit & Run” debuted in the number 10 slot.
Another action sequel, “The Bourne Legacy”, landed in the No. 2 spot with US$9.3 million at North American (US and Canadian) cinemas during its third weekend. The movie stars Jeremy Renner in a reboot of a spy franchise that previously featured Matt Damon.
In third place, stop-motion family film “ParaNorman” pulled in US$8.6 million. The movie, released a week ago, tells the story of a boy who helps save his town from a zombie invasion.
Anti-Obama documentary “2016: Obama’s America” made a strong showing in the No. 8 spot with domestic sales of US$6.2 million. The movie made a limited debut in July but expanded to more than 1,000 cinemas this weekend, just ahead of the Republican National Convention to nominate Mitt Romney as Obama’s challenger in the presidential race.
“Premium Rush” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt earned US$6.3 million. In the movie, Gordon-Levitt plays a bike messenger being chased through New York City by a cop who wants an envelope he’s carrying.
In fourth place, comedy “The Campaign” starring Will Farrell and Zach Galifianakis as opposing politicians grossed US$7.4 million during its third weekend. Megahit “The Dark Knight Rises” took fifth with US$7.2 million, bringing its total to US$422.2 million since its July release.
“We had great holds on both ‘The Campaign’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’” said Jeff Goldstein, executive vice president of theatrical distribution for Warner Bros. “Campaign” dropped 43 per cent from a week earlier, while “Dark Knight Rises” fell just 35 per cent.
Low-budget “Hit & Run,” produced for just US$1.3 million, earned US$4.7 million over the weekend. The movie tells the story of a man who risks his identity in the witness protection program when he drives his fiance to Los Angeles. Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell star.
Lions Gate Entertainment released “Expendables 2”. Universal Studios, a unit of Comcast Corp, released “Bourne Legacy,” and the studio’s Focus Features distributed “ParaNorman.” Privately held Rocky Mountain Pictures released “2016: Obama’s America”.
“Premium Rush” was released by Sony Corp’s movie studio. Open Road Films, a joint venture between cinema owners Regal Entertainment Group and privately held AMC Entertainment Inc distributed “Hit & Run”. — Reuters
