Categories: Movie News

Weekend Box Office Report: March 14-16, 2014

Mr. Peabody and Sherman travel to #1!

After opening in second place last week, MR. PEABODY AND SHERMAN set the Wayback Machine to the top of the box office this weekend with $21.2 million!

The time-tripping adventures of the genius dog and his human could end up becoming another new animated family fave and a potential hit for Fox and Dreamworks Animation — the characters from the old "Rocky & Bullwinkle" cartoon are at almost $150 million worldwide already.

Coming in second was last weekend's conqueror, the violent R-rated 300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE with $19.1 million. Though the movie carried an eyebrow-raising $110 million and a notable lack of star power, the sequel to 2007's hit adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel 300 is demonstrating its fortitude with a global total now at $236 million.

Sputtering into third was the new vehicular spectacle NEED FOR SPEED with $17.8 million. That's lower than director Scott Waugh's feature debut ACT OF VALOR a couple years back ($24.4 million), and around the level of MAX PAYNE and MORTAL KOMBAT: ANNIHILATION as far as opening weekends for videogame adaptations.

Paying audiences hit the gas with a 'B+' CinemaScore, but critics slammed on the brakes with an average 24% on Rotten Tomatoes. The high-speed racer gained more traction among international audiences with $45.6 million, but it seems more likely to stall than begin a FAST AND FURIOUS style franchise. "Breaking Bad" co-star Aaron Paul deserves better, doesn't he?

Liam Neeson's airborne thriller NON-STOP was cruising in fourth place with $10.6 million, keeping it ahead of Tyler Perry's latest TYLER PERRY'S THE SINGLE MOMS CLUB, opening in fifth with $8.3 million. The crowds that did show up gave it an 'A-' CinemaScore, but aside from TYLER PERRY PRESENTS PEEPLES, that opening is the lowest of any wide release that's carried the Tyler Perry brand. Maybe it's time for TYLER PERRY'S VACATION FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

THE LEGO MOVIE remained pretty awesome in sixth with another $7.7 million and a $378 worldwide total, while SON OF GOD entertained the faithful in seventh with $5.4 million.

Wes Anderson's THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL expanded to just 66 screens and still managed to make the chart with $3.6 million — and a per-screen average around ten times that of anything in the Top 3! It's safe to say that people want to see Anderson's latest regardless of how difficult it may be for them to find at the moment.

Although it's available on DVD and download this week, Disney's FROZEN is still somehow in the Top 10 after 17 weeks in theaters. Speaking of Kristen Bell and home video, the kickstarted feature of VERONICA MARS peeped into the Top 10 with $2 million on just under 300 screens  The fan-demanded (and funded) movie was also made available via VOD on the same day, although that release was bruised by some reports of technical difficulties.

Outside the chart, THE MONUMENTS MEN made way for Ms. Mars along with 3 DAYS TO KILL, RIDE ALONG and 12 YEARS A SLAVE. The Jason Bateman R-rated comedy BAD WORDS opened in limited release to an indifferent $20k per-screen average.

Next weekend brings Lionsgate's latest great hope for a TWILIGHT-sized smash young-adult franchise with the adaptation of DIVERGENT, which will be challenged by the return of everyone's favorite felt beings in MUPPETS MOST WANTED. For those a bit more daring, Lars Von Trier's NYMPHOMANIAC VOL. 1 gets a limited release, along with the Clive Owen period crime tale BLOOD TIES.

What is your favorite movie based on a videogame? VOTE HERE!

# MOVIE TITLE WKND $ TOTAL $
1 Mr. Peabody and Sherman $21.2 M $63.1 M
2 300: Rise of an Empire $19.1 M $78.3 M
3 Need for Speed $17.8 M NEW
4 Non-Stop $10.6 M $68.8 M
5 Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club $8.3 M NEW
6 Son of God $5.4 M $50.8 M
7 The Lego Movie $7.7 M $236.9 M
8 The Grand Budapest Hotel $3.6 M $4.7 M
9 Frozen $2.1 M $396.3 M
10 Veronica Mars $2 M NEW
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Published by
Dave Davis