Clearly Avengers: Age of Ultron isn’t clicking with audiences the same way the first one did in 2012. While still hauling in impressive numbers, a 60% drop in its second weekend just goes to show it isn’t carrying the same buzz, but it’s still hard to be too down on a movie that has already made $312.8 million domestically in just ten days.
So what was the damage? Well, it dropped 60% this weekend, scoring $77.2 million. By comparison, the first one not only grossed a massive $207.4 million opening, but only dropped 50% in its second weekend to for the largest second weekend total of $103 million. Still, putting all of this in perspective, Age of Ultron not only had the second best opening weekend behind the first Avengers, but now holds the second best second weekend behind Avengers. Once again, that first movie so over-performed any and all expectations it’s hard to look at Age of Ultron as a disappointment even though the numbers aren’t as lofty as we may have expected them to be. It stands to assume our expectations may have been quite unreasonable.
Of course, Ultron is still doing well overseas where it added another $68.3 million, bringing its international cume to $562.4 million as its worldwide total now sits at $875.3 million. It will be interesting to see where this one ends up as Furious 7 might actually have a shot at besting it as it’s worldwide total is now up to $1.46 billion. The first Avengers topped out at $1.51 billion, but the sequel’s improved overseas performance makes it tough to gauge just where this one will finish internationally.
Hot Pursuit didn’t exactly do gangbusters at the box office or with those that showed up to see it on opening day. Debuting with just $13.3 million, the Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vegara “comedy” is a non-starter, opening with $4 million less than This Means War and scoring a lackluster “C+” CinemaScore from opening day audiences.
The Age of Adaline scored a third place finish with $5.6 million, Furious 7 takes fourth with $5.2 million as it just edges out Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2.
Finally, a bit of a yowsers for the Jack Black and James Marsden pic, The D Train, which opened in 1,009 theaters and only managed $425,000, that’s $421 per theater. Yikes.
Next weekend sees the release of Mad Max: Fury Road and Pitch Perfect 2, which should make for some interesting box office predictions. Pitch Perfect is expected to open quite big while Mad Max is a bit of a question mark, what do you see happening? Do give you a little idea how Pitch Perfect might do, the sequel opened in Australia and New Zealand this weekend where it brought in $8.8 million, topping the original by 300% (source).
