Weekend moviegoers chose sci-fi over slapstick.
"Ender's Game" scored the No. 1 slot at the weekend box office, earning $28 million in its opening weekend and sending "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" into second place, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Lionsgate's adaptation earned an additional $2 million in five international territories.
Based on the novel by Orson Scott Card, "Ender's Game" stars Asa Butterfield and Harrison Ford as intergalactic soldiers.
Comments made by Card expressing opposition to gay marriage led some to call for a boycott of the film. But a strong first-place opening met the studio's pre-weekend expectations.
However, ticket sales didn't come close to the opening weekends of other young-adult adaptations such as "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games." It did fare better than "Beautiful Creatures" and "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones."
"'Ender's Game' is a big budget movie that could be the start of a franchise," said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Rentrak. "This time of year is not exactly a hotbed of million-dollar openings, but once they launch worldwide, it will do well."
A representative for Lionsgate declined to be interviewed for this story.
Paramount's candid-camera comedy starring Johnny Knoxville disguised as an old man brought in an additional $20.5 million in its second weekend, with a domestic total reaching more than $62 million. It also picked up $6 million in international ticket sales.
Other films opening this weekend didn't generate as much enthusiasm.
CBS Films' "Last Vegas," featuring an all-star cast of silver screen veterans including Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, opened in third place, with $16.5 million.
"It's interesting to see the number of stars that are not in their 20s in the top films," Dergarabedian said. "'Ender's Game' has Harrison Ford and Viola Davis, and 'Last Vegas' is like a 'Hangover' for the older crowd. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney (in 'Gravity') appeal to an older audience, and '12 Years a Slave,' which continues to impress as it expands into more and more theaters, is a very sophisticated drama."
Relativity Media's 3-D animated kiddie flick "Free Birds," with characters voiced by Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler, debuted in the fourth spot, with $16.2 million.
After its fifth weekend at the box office, the Warner Bros. 3-D stunner "Gravity" is still holding in the fifth position. It banked $13.1 million over the weekend, bringing its domestic total to $220 million. Internationally, it gained $27.1 million.
Considered an Oscar contender, "12 Years a Slave" earned $4.6 million at No. 7 in its third weekend.
Overseas, Disney's "Thor: The Dark World" earned an impressive $109.4 million in its first international weekend. The Marvel superhero sequel opens domestically next weekend.
With the opening of "Thor: The Dark World," Disney's cumulative international box office for 2013 has passed the studio's previous international record of $2.303 billion, which was set in 2010.
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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 for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Ender's Game," $28 million ($2 million international).
2. "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa," $20.5 million ($6 million international).
3. "Last Vegas," $16.5 million.
4. "Free Birds," $16.2 million.
5. "Gravity," $13.1 million ($27.1 million international).
6. "Captain Phillips," $8.5 million ($10 million international).
7. "12 Years a Slave," $4.6 million.
8. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2," $4.2 million ($11.5 million international).
9. "Carrie," $3.4 million ($1.6 million international).
10. "The Counselor," $2.3 million ($2.6 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."Thor: The Dark World," $109.4 million.
2."Gravity," $27.1 million.
3."Sole a Catinelle," $18.5 million.
4."Turbo," $12.3 million.
5."Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2," $11.5 million.
6."Stalingrad," $11 million.
7."Captain Phillips," $10 million.
8."Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa," $6 million.
9."Escape Plan," $4.4 million.
10."Ender's Game," $2 million.
Luis Giraldo, Felipe Antonioli Return To DAVID As Creative Directors
Luis Giraldo and Felipe Antonioli have joined global agency DAVID as creative directors in its Miami office. After nearly three years at Goodby Silverstein & Partners in San Francisco, Giraldo and Antonioli are returning to DAVID where they were previously part of the creative team at DAVID Madrid (2019โโ22). Giraldo and Antonioli, who have been working together for seven years, will be creating for such DAVID clients as Google and Mondelez.
Giraldo and Antonioli will both report to Edgard Gianesi, DAVID Miamiโs chief creative officer. โWelcoming Luis and Felipe to the DAVID Miami team signals a bold step forward for the agency,โ said Gianesi. โTheir exceptional creative vision and ability to craft culturally resonant, award-winning work align perfectly with our mission of pushing the boundaries of whatโs possible in creative.โ
Throughout his career, Giraldo has worked on iconic campaigns for brands like Burger King, Pondโs Men, Corona, and Doritos. Recognized as the #1 copywriter in the world by the Cannes Lions Global Creativity Report (2021), Giraldo is the creator of one of the most awarded campaigns in Spanish advertising history--Burger King Stevenage Challenge--with accolades including a Grand Prix at Cannes Lions, Clio Awards, The One Show, and LIA, among others.
Antonioli returns as a highly acclaimed art director with over 13 years of experience across the U.S., European, and Brazilian advertising markets. He has developed innovative campaigns for global brands such as Doritos, Burger King, Corona, Dove, Magnum, and Havaianas. Antonioli has earned over 200 international awards, including the first-ever Titanium Lion for Spain, three Cannes Lions Grand Prix, and three Yellow Pencils at D&AD. He is also the... Read More