After two weeks behind “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” reclaimed the top spot at the North American box office with $26.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates.The film is in rare territory, having brought in $703.9 million worldwide and counting. It still has a long way to go to beat the current champion of musical biopics: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, The Queen movie grossed over $910.8 million worldwide.
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ took second place
‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ took second place in its third weekend with $18 million, bringing its domestic total to $175.9 million and a worldwide cume of $546.2 million.
‘Obsession’ precedes new releases
“Obsession” was among the newcomers, beating expectations with USD 16.1 million from 2,615 theaters. Curry Barker wrote and directed the YouTube thriller in which a hopeless romantic gets more than he bargained for when he returns her love. The film received positive reviews from both critics (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (A- CinemaScore). Perhaps more notably, Barker made the film for US$750,000. Focus Features acquired it from the Toronto International Film Festival last fall for about US$15 million.Lisa Bunnell, president of domestic distribution for Focus Features, attributes “part of Obsession’s success to audiences who want fresh, original voices in their movies. It’s also getting an infusion of word of mouth, with younger audiences planning to return with friends. Horror movies don’t often get CinemaScores in the A-range, but ‘Obsession’ is in good company with another recent hit: ‘Guns.’“I’m really expecting a lot of power,” Bunnell said.
‘Mortal Kombat II’ has dropped to fourth place
Fourth place at the box office this weekend went to ‘Mortal Kombat II’, which dropped 65% in its second weekend with $13.4 million in ticket sales. Globally, it has earned USD 101.2 million from 80 markets.Amazon MGM Studios had three films in the top 10, including ‘The Sheep Detectives’ in fifth place. The film was down a slight 33% from its opening weekend, taking in an additional $10.2 million to bring its total to $30.5 million.
Top 10 roundup
‘Project Hail Mary’ reached number seven and ‘Is God Is’ rounded out the top 10. ‘Project Hail Mary,’ which is now available to rent or buy at home, earned another $3.4 million in its ninth weekend in theaters. ‘Is God Is,’ Aleshea Harris’ adaptation of the play by twin sisters (Kara Young and Mallori Johnson) earned $2.2 million in its first weekend in theaters. It has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.Meanwhile, the Black Bear-released action caper ‘In the Grey’ earned $3 million from 2,018 locations. Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal and Eiza Gonzalez star in this film about a team of elite operatives on an impossible mission. It currently holds a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes and a B CinemaScore.There were also several big box office re-releases this weekend, including ‘Top Gun’ which earned $3.1 million and ‘Shrek’ which earned $1.3 million.
Top 10 movies at the domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released on Monday, this list takes into account estimated Friday-Sunday ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:1. “Michael,” $26.1 million.2. “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” $18 million.3. “Obsession,” $16.1 million.4. “Mortal Kombat II,” $13.4 million.5. “The Sheep Detectives,” $9.3 million.6. “Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” $4.5 million.7. “Project Hail Mary,” $3.9 million.8. “Top Gun” 40th Anniversary, $3.1 million.9. “In the Grey,” $3 million.10. “Is God Is,” $2.2 million.
