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    Two Sequels Show Box Office Prowess: “22 Jump Street,” “Dragon 2”

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments3403 Views
    This image released by Sony Pictures shows Jonah Hill, from left, Ice Cube, and Channing Tatum in Columbia Pictures' "22 Jump Street." (AP Photo/Sony Pictures, Glen Wilson)

    By Sandy Cohen, Entertainment Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    In a summertime battle of sequels, a pair of kooky cops beat out flying dragons for the top spot at the North American box office, but the dragons soared internationally.

    The R-rated comedy "22 Jump Street" debuted in first place domestically with $60 million, followed by "How to Train Your Dragon 2" which opened with $50 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.

    Internationally, though, "Dragon" dwarfed "Jump Street" with $24.8 million to $6.9 million respectively.

    Still, it's an impressive showing for two sequels. The original versions of "Dragon" and "Jump Street" were springtime releases, and their strong performances then led studios to offer sequels during the hot movie-going months of summer.

    "When a studio has ultimate confidence in something, they will put it in that gladiator arena that is the summer season," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. "A sequel in the summer is like graduating."

    It's rare for two films to open with such big numbers on the same weekend, too, he said. Dergarabedian notes it has happened three times before: last year when "Monsters University" opened against "World War Z"; in 2012 when "Madagascar 3" opened against "Prometheus"; and in 2008 when "WALL-E" opened against "Wanted."

    Sony's "Jump Street" stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill as bumbling undercover officers who pose as college students to bust a campus drug dealer. Hill also lends a voice to the animated "Dragon," the Fox feature that follows Hiccup and his winged dragon Toothless on an adventure where they discover hundreds of wild dragons and a mysterious dragon master.

    "To have two movies that opened to 50-plus, that's really good," said Chris Aronson, head of distribution for Fox, which boasts three films in the top 10. "To have a PG-rated, animated film open against a hard R comedy, you gotta love that."

    Disney's "Maleficent" claimed third place in its third week of release. Warner Bros.' Tom Cruise action romp "Edge of Tomorrow" took the fourth spot, followed by last week's top film, Fox's teen tear-jerker "The Fault in Our Stars."

    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 on Monday.

    1. "22 Jump Street," $60 million ($6.9 million international).

    2. "How to Train Your Dragon 2," $50 million ($24.8 million international).

    3. "Maleficent," $19 million ($37.2 million international).

    4. "Edge of Tomorrow," $16.2 million ($37.4 million international).

    5. "The Fault in Our Stars," $15.7 million ($16.4 million international).

    6. "X-Men: Days of Future Past," $9.5 million ($18.2 million international).

    7. "Godzilla," $3.2 million ($38 million international).

    8. "A Million Ways to Die in the West," $3.1 million ($4.2 million international).

    9. "Neighbors," $2.5 million ($2 million international).

    10. "Chef," $2.3 million ($150,000 international).

    ___

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Rentrak:

    1. "Godzilla," $38 million.

    2. "Edge of Tomorrow," $37.4 million.

    3. "Maleficent," $37.2 million.

    4. "How to Train Your Dragon 2," $24.8 million.

    5. "X-Men: Days of Future Past," $18.2 million.

    6. "The Fault in Our Stars," $16.4 million.

    7. "22 Jump Street," $6.9 million.

    8. "A Million Ways to Die in the West," $4.2 million.

    9. "Noah," $4 million.

    10. "Frozen," $3.8 million.

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    Tags:22 Jump Streetbox officeHow to Train Your Dragon 2



    Is “Glicked” The New “Barbenheimer”? “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” Hit Theater Screens

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    "Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen.

    The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.

    And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).

    This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.

    "'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."

    As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More

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