"About Last Night" takes second place in box office; "Robocop" finishes third
By Derrik J. Lang, Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) --"The Lego Movie" built a huge lead on top of the weekend's new releases at the box office.
In its second outing, the Warner Bros. animated film featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks and Will Arnett earned $48.8 million to take first place, according to studio estimates Sunday. That brings the film based on the toy brick-building franchise's domestic box office total to $129.1 million, cementing it was one of the biggest blockbusters of the year.
"It's crossing over to all audiences," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. "It's not just a kids' movie. There's something for boys, girls and adults, as well. The likeability is astronomical. That across-the-board appeal is giving 'The Lego Movie' unstoppable momentum, even in a weekend loaded with new competitors."
"The Lego Movie" earned an additional $27.7 million from 42 international territories, including the United Kingdom, Holland, Sweden and Norway. The worldwide total box office for "Lego Movie" now stands at $180.3 million.
Sony's romantic comedy "About Last Night" starring Kevin Hart and Michael Ealy came in second place with $27 million. The strong showing further demonstrated Hart's clout as a box-office draw. The actor-comedian's other film, the buddy-cop comedy "Ride Along" with Ice Cube, nabbed $8.8 million in its fifth weekend to take the sixth spot at the box office.
"I don't think there's anyone funnier out there today than Kevin Hart," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "He's at the top, and he couldn't be a nicer or more hardworking guy. He got out there and promoted 'About Last Night' really, really hard. The chemistry that he brings to the table is just infectious. You can't help but wanna take the ride with him."
The action-packed "RoboCop" reboot from Sony and MGM featuring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman and Michael Keaton captured third place with $21.5 million. The update to the original 1987 sci-fi film starring Peter Weller as a robotic officer performed better overseas, earning $35 million from 37 international markets, including France, Australia and Germany.
The weekend's other new releases, Universal's coming-of-age drama "Endless Love" and the Warner Bros. novel adaptation "Winter's Tale," respectively earned the fifth and seventh spots at the box office. "Endless Love," starring Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde, wooed $13.4 million, while the Colin Farrell drama "Winter's Tale" made a chilly $7.8 million.
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Tuesday.
1. "The Lego Movie," $48.8 million ($27.7 million international).
2. "About Last Night," $27 million.
3. "RoboCop," $21.5 million ($35 million international).
4. "The Monuments Men," $15 million ($8.9 million international).
5. "Endless Love," $13.4 million ($3.9 million international).
6. "Ride Along," $8.8 million.
7. "Winter's Tale," $7.8 million ($4 million international).
8. "Frozen," $5.9 million ($18.2 million international).
9. "Lone Survivor," $4 million ($750,000 international).
10. "That Awkward Moment," $3.3 million ($2.1 million international).
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Estimated weekend ticket sales Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:
1. "RoboCop," $35 million.
2. "''The Lego Movie," $27.7 million.
3. "Beijing Love Story," $25 million.
4. "Frozen," $18.2 million.
5. "The Wolf of Wall Street," $15 million.
6. "The Monkey King," $13 million.
7. "The Man From Macau," $10 million.
8. "The Monuments Men," $8.9 million.
9. "American Hustle," $7 million.
10. "The Three Brothers: The Return," $6.5 million.
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More