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 That was on the lower end of projections for the Fox
espionage satire, which wraps globe-trotting intrigue in cat
sweaters, but it was enough to dislodge last week's champ, "San
Andreas," from its first place perch. The Warner Bros. disaster
movie secured a second place berth with $26.4 million, and has
rumbled its way to a domestic total of $99 million in two weeks
of release.
Overall, a weekend that saw three box office newcomers failed to
generate enough heat to lift ticket sales to year-ago numbers
when "Fault in Our Stars" debuted to $48 million. That's the
third straight week of declines, but the streak will likely snap
next weekend when "Jurassic World" is projected to roar to more
than $100 million.
"I'm still holding out for a record summer, but it's getting
harder and harder to see happening," said Paul Dergarabedian,
senior media analyst at Rentrak. "We need summer to start
rocking again soon."
"Spy" cost $65 million to produce and rolled out across 3,711
locations. It reunites McCarthy and director Paul Feig, who have
previously collaborated on "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids." Chernin
Entertainment produced the film, which co-stars Rose Byrne, Jude
Law and a surprisingly funny Jason Statham. Overseas, where
Statham is next to godliness, the picture took in $25.6 million
from 54 markets, bringing its worldwide total to $86.5 million.
Reviews have been rapturous and Fox believes that "Spy" is a
picture that will be a model of consistency in the coming weeks.
Feig and McCarthy's films show a great deal of box office
endurance, with "Bridesmaids" enjoying a 6.4 multiple on its
opening and "The Heat" boasting a 4.1 multiple. When it comes to
R-rated comedies, "Spy" has a clear runway until "Ted 2" debuts
on June 26.
"Melissa McCarthy and Paul Feig movies have incredibly long
tails," said Chris Aronson, Fox's domestic distribution chief.
Aronson thinks the quality of the film will be a major selling
point.
"It's a luxury when critics and audiences are aligned," he
added. "You don't see that too often."
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Among new releases, Gramercy premiered "Insidious: Chapter 3,"
another low-budget package from horror impresario Jason Blum, to $23
million across 3,002 theaters. That's a third place finish, and,
like other Blumhouse films such as "Sinister" and "The Purge,"
"Insidious: Chapter 3" will enjoy capacious profit margins. It cost
a meager $10 million to produce and attracted a crowd that was 54%
female and 69% under the age of 25.
"It's a very solid start," said Jim Orr, president of distribution
for Focus Features, which maintains the Gramercy genre label. "Blumhouse
just owns this space and they've crafted another incredibly scary
movie."
After a five-year absence, the stars of the long-running HBO series
"Entourage" reunited for a bigscreen bacchanal that was savaged by
critics. "Entourage" will make $17.8 million over its first five
days in theaters and $10.4 million for the weekend, less than the
$20 million mark that Warner Bros. had hoped to crack. Checking in
on the state of Vincent Chase's career, liver and sex life set
Warner Bros. back a modest $27 million in production spending.
The opening weekend crowd was 64% male and 90% under the age of 50,
perhaps the least surprising demographic data ever. Warner Bros.
distribution chief Dan Fellman noted that the film's grosses moved
up 3% on Saturday, a sign he argued that word-of-mouth is bolstering
the picture.
"It's found its audience now," he said. "This little bit of a burst
we saw gives us some momentum as we move into the heart of summer."
"Mad Max: Fury Road" rounded out the top five with just shy of $8
million, bringing its domestic haul to $130.8 million, while "Pitch
Perfect 2" roped $7.7 million last weekend for a North American
total of $161 million.
Among art house releases, Roadside Attractions' "Love and Mercy"
scored a solid $2.2 million from 483 screens. The biopic about Beach
Boys' musical genius Brian Wilson will expand gradually throughout
the summer.
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