{"id":49721,"date":"2016-07-17T12:57:22","date_gmt":"2016-07-17T19:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/filmchat\/?p=49721"},"modified":"2016-08-22T10:24:30","modified_gmt":"2016-08-22T17:24:30","slug":"box-office-ghostbusters-gets-off-to-a-good-but-not-great-start-while-animated-films-continue-to-set-new-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/filmchat\/2016\/07\/box-office-ghostbusters-gets-off-to-a-good-but-not-great-start-while-animated-films-continue-to-set-new-records.html","title":{"rendered":"Box office: Ghostbusters<\/i> gets off to a good but not great start, while animated films continue to set new records"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"ghostbusters-a\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After months of controversy, an all-female reboot of a popular comedy franchise had a good but not great start at the box office this weekend, while a couple of animated films continued to set new records for the animation medium.<\/p>\n

Ghostbusters<\/b><\/i> \u2014 a reboot of the 1980s spooky-comedy series that has attracted some very loud haters and defenders alike because it stars four women instead of men \u2014 grossed an estimated $46 million between Thursday and Sunday nights<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a personal best for director Paul Feig<\/a> (previous champ: The Heat<\/i>, 2013, $39.1 million) and co-star Melissa McCarthy<\/a> (previous champ: The Hangover Part III<\/i>, 2013, $41.7 million); it is also the second-best opening of any live-action film with Kristen Wiig<\/a> (behind The Martian<\/i>, in which she had a supporting role).<\/p>\n

But unlike most comedies, which have relatively modest budgets, Ghostbusters<\/i> has a lot of visual effects, which pushed the film\u2019s production budget to $144 million.<\/p>\n

So the film will have to show significant staying power in North America and\/or do great business overseas if it is going to warrant a sequel (and the film ends with a post-credits tag which indicates that the studio wants<\/i> to make a sequel).<\/p>\n

Ghostbusters<\/i> also has the second-biggest opening of any horror comedy<\/a> (behind Scary Movie 3<\/i>, 2003, $48.1 million) and the second-biggest opening of any comedy remake<\/a> (behind Adam Sandler\u2019s The Longest Yard<\/i>, 2005, $47.6 million).<\/p>\n

As good as its first weekend was, Ghostbusters<\/i> didn\u2019t claim the top spot at the box office this week. That honour went to The Secret Life of Pets<\/b><\/i>, which earned $50.6 million in its second week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $203.1 million.<\/p>\n

Between The Secret Life of Pets<\/i> and Finding Dory<\/i>, animated films have now been #1 at the box office for an unprecedented five consecutive weeks<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Animated films have also been #1 at the box office for eleven weeks in total this year, which matches the record that was set in 2010 \u2014 and the year\u2019s not over yet!<\/p>\n

Finding Dory<\/b><\/i>, for its part, earned $11 million and ranked fourth for the week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $445.5 million and pushing it past 2004\u2019s Shrek 2<\/i> to become the top-grossing animated film<\/a> of all time in North America.1<\/sup><\/p>\n

Finding Dory<\/i> still lags significantly behind overseas, though, where it has earned only $276.2 million so far and is currently nowhere near the animated top thirty.<\/p>\n

The weekend\u2019s only other wide release \u2014 though it has not played in Canada yet \u2014 was The Infiltrator<\/b><\/i>, in which Bryan Cranston plays an undercover federal agent who goes up against Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The film has made $6.7 million since opening on Wednesday, and it landed in eighth place for the weekend.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in other box-office news\u2026<\/p>\n

The Legend of Tarzan<\/b><\/i> earned $11.1 million and ranked third in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $103.1 million. The film has earned another $90.6 million overseas for a global total of $193.7 million.<\/p>\n

Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates<\/b><\/i> earned $7.5 million and ranked fifth in its second week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $31.3 million. The film has earned another $4.4 million overseas for a global total of $35.7.<\/p>\n

The Purge: Election Year<\/b><\/i> earned $6.1 million and ranked sixth in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $71 million. The film has earned another $78.2 million overseas for a global total of $149.2 million.<\/p>\n

Central Intelligence<\/b><\/i> earned $5.3 million and ranked seventh in its fifth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $117.5 million. The film has earned another $63 million overseas for a global total of $180.5 million.<\/p>\n

The BFG<\/b><\/i> earned $3.7 million and ranked ninth in its third week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $47.3 million. The film has earned another $17.1 million overseas for a global total of $64.4 million.<\/p>\n

And Independence Day: Resurgence<\/b><\/i> earned $3.5 million and ranked tenth in its fourth week, thereby raising its domestic cume to $98.5 million. The film has earned another $215.5 million overseas for a global total of $314 million.<\/p>\n

Now for a bit of extra data on the year\u2019s top-grossing animated films<\/a>:<\/p>\n

In North America, Finding Dory<\/i> now ranks first (and Zootopia<\/i> still ranks ninth):<\/p>\n