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 Universal's "Ted 2" debuted to an underwhelming $32.9 million
across 3,442 theaters, roughly $15 million less than most
analysts had expected the pot-smoking teddy bear comedy would
bring in during its opening weekend.
The mellow-harshing start was largely attributable to the
presence of two box office juggernauts in Disney/Pixar's "Inside
Out" and Universal's "Jurassic World," which racked up $52.1
million and $54.2 million, respectively.
"Jurassic World" now ranks as the fifth highest grossing
domestic release of all time with $500 million in stateside
receipts, behind "The Dark Knight's" $534.8 million haul. It
marks the third consecutive weekend that the dinosaur thriller
has topped North American charts, and the fastest that a film
has ever crossed the $500 million mark.
"It's forging new ground," said Nicholas Carpou, head of
domestic distribution at Universal. "Every time we turn around
there's a new milestone we're checking off."
With "Jurassic World" continuing to be an indomitable box office
force, "Inside Out" took runner-up position for the second
consecutive weekend. The critically heralded family film has
earned a sizable $184.9 million since opening last weekend.
"Ted 2" got off to a more sluggish start than its predecessor,
"Ted," which got things going with a massive $54 million start
on its way to a $549.4 million global haul. Perhaps the plot, in
which Ted tries to convince a court that he's a person so he can
have a child with his wife, was too downbeat, or the post
Deflate-gate Tom Brady cameo, proved more polarizing than
tantalizing to audiences.
"This year, a lot of sequels are a bit more challenged, with the
possible exception of some of the ones that we've had," said
Carpou, noting Universal's "Furious 7" and "Pitch Perfect 2"
buck that trend.
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Whatever the case, it's a disappointment considering that many box
office sages had predicted "Ted 2" would be the summer's biggest
comedy. Media Rights Capital helped fund the $85 million production,
which brought back original star Mark Wahlberg and director,
co-writer, and vocal maestro Seth MacFarlane.
"Ted 2's" opening weekend audience was 49% under the age of 25, and
59% male.
The weekend's other new release, "Max," an uplifting drama about a
military dog combined pooches and patriotism to the tune of $12.2
million across 2,855 locations. Shot for $20 million, the Warner
Bros. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer co-production, was expected to open to
roughly $10 million. Females accounted for 55% of tickets sold,
while the audience was 57% over the age of 25.
The film did well in the South and the Mid-West, areas with a high
percentage of military families, said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.
distribution executive vice president.
"The patriotic core audience in those places played a big part in
its success," said Goldstein, adding, "This is the kind of movie
that in the summertime can hang around and get a good multiple on
its opening."
"Spy," the Melissa McCarthy espionage comedy, took fifth place with
$7.8 million, bringing its total to $88.3 million.
In addition to "Max," Warner Bros. also fielded "Batkid Begins," a
documentary about how thousands of volunteers banded together to
make a 5-year-old leukemia survivor's wish to become a superhero for
a day, a reality. The picture debuted in four locations, picking up
$23,000.
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