Box office report: ‘Godzilla’ demolishes the competition with $93.2 million weekend
Get ready for lots of monster puns and destruction jokes: Godzilla had a clear path to box office domination this weekend. After setting a new record for best opening day on Friday with $38.5 million, the King of the Monsters handily won the weekend with an estimated $93.2 million.
The reported $160 million film — directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, and a couple of MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) — got a B+ Cinema Score, though critical reception has been decidedly mixed (EW’s Chris Nashawaty gave it a B-; you can read his review here). IMAX grosses were responsible for $14.1 million of Godzilla‘s total haul, which means when people want to see giant lizard-y monsters wreck a city, they want to see it big. (Side note: Another peripheral winner thanks to Godzilla? New York City, which — for once — is not the scene for urban destruction. Thanks for taking your turn, San Francisco!)
Coming in second place is the frat-tastic Neighbors, which — even with a 47 percent dip for its second weekend — grossed $26 million this weekend, bringing its total to $91.53 million (not to mention the $54.8 million overseas, bringing its global total to $146.3 million). Not bad for an R-rated comedy with an estimated $18 million budget. The movie — starring Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne, Zac Efron, and Dave Franco — has now officially bypassed other recent comedies such as 21 Jump Street and The Heat. To-ga!
Meanwhile, The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s webwork at the box office is beginning to wane. In its third weekend, the movie — directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, and Dane DeHaan — made $16.8 million for a grand domestic total of $172.17 million. Of course, keep in mind that overseas, Spidey has made $460.8 million for a grand global total of $633 million.
This weekend’s other new release, Million Dollar Arm, earned $10.5 million. The Disney film — starring Jon Hamm and based on a true story about an American baseball scout who recruited Indian athletes — has an A- Cinema Score but didn’t fare quite as well with critics.
And rounding out the top five is a triumphant trio of blondes: The Other Woman, led by Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, and Kate Upton, made $6.3 million this weekend, bringing its total to $71.66 million.
Here’s the top five:
1. Godzilla – $93.2 million
2. Neighbors – $26 million
3. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – $16.8 million
4. Million Dollar Arm – $10.58 million
5. The Other Woman – $6.3 million