Transformers are First for the Fourth!
Everyone likes to see fireworks for the Fourth of July holiday, and not many can deliver explosive spectacle like Michael Bay, whose TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION is once again on top of the box office with $36.4 million!
Compared to last year when DESPICABLE ME 2 opened to $83.5 million, moviegoing was a bit slow in general over the Independence Day weekend (with a major storm making things especially soggy on the East Coast). Bay's grand-scale conflict of Autobots and Decepticons dropped 63% from its opening last week, but it was enough to defeat all new challengers as the latest TRANSFORMERS now tops $575 million worldwide after ten days in theaters.
Of the newcomers, the R-rated comedy TAMMY managed to make it to second place with $21.7 million, and a $32.9 million total since its Wednesday opening. Both opening figures are lower than star Melissa McCarthy's IDENTITY THIEF ($34.5 million) and her team-up with Sandra Bullock THE HEAT ($39.1 million) from last year.
THE HEAT went on to become one of last summer's surprise hits ($159 million), but although McCarthy's new road trip movie only cost around $20 million, it's unlikely to collect much word-of-mouth business considering the bashing it took from both critics (26% on Rotten Tomatoes) and paying customers ('C+' CinemaScore).
The new R-rated horror release DELIVER US FROM EVIL opened in third with $9.5 million, and $15 million since it started on Wednesday. The Eric Bana supernatural spooker from director Scott Derrickson (of Marvel's upcoming DOCTOR STRANGE) was exorcised by critics (32% at Rotten Tomatoes) and didn't really thrill audiences either ('B-' CinemaScore).
22 JUMP STREET was close behind with $9.4 million, still rocking after four weeks in theaters as it hits a $158.8 million domestic total to surpass NEIGHBORS' $148 million and become the biggest R-rated release of 2014 (it's up to a $228 million total worldwide).
Families took over the middle of the chart, with HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 in fifth with $8.7 million as it slowly climbs toward a $300 million worldwide total. Opening in sixth was the found-footage alien adventure EARTH TO ECHO with $8.2 million (and $13.5 million since Wednesday), despite the best critical reception of the new releases (51% at Rotten Tomatoes and an 'A-' CinemaScore). And Disney's MALEFICENT enchanted another $6.1 million as it reached $630 million worldwide.
After that, JERSEY BOYS, THINK LIKE A MAN TOO and EDGE OF TOMORROW close out the list. Outside the chart, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST and CHEF exited the Top 10 while the new political documentary AMERICA from conservative filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza (2016: OBAMA'S AMERICA) opened on 1100 screens with $2.7 million, SNOWPIERCER rolled out to 250 screens for just shy of $1 million, and the Mark Ruffalo/Keira Knightley romace BEGIN AGAIN expanded to 175 locations for $1.3 million.
Next weekend only has one new wide release as the simians continue their domination in DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, and the drama BOYHOOD and the comedy A LONG WAY DOWN open in limited release.
Did you check out a movie over the July 4th holiday weekend? VOTE HERE!
| # | MOVIE TITLE | WKND $ | TOTAL $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transformers: Age of Extinction | $36.4 M | $174.7 M |
| 2 | Tammy | $21.1 M | $32.9 M |
| 3 | Deliver Us from Evil | $9.5 M | $15 M |
| 4 | 22 Jump Street | $9.4 M | $158.8 M |
| 5 | How to Train Your Dragon 2 | $8.7 M | $140 M |
| 6 | Maleficent | $6.1 M | $213.8 M |
| 7 | Earth to Echo | $8.2 M | $13.5 M |
| 8 | Jersey Boys | $5.1 M | $36.7 M |
| 9 | Think Like a Man Too | $4.9 M | $57.1 M |
| 10 | Edge of Tomorrow | $3.6 M | $90.8 M |