Box office report: ‘Dumb and Dumber To’ beats ‘Big Hero 6’
Dumb and Dumber fans flocked to theaters for the long-awaited Dumb and Dumber To this weekend. The sequel made an estimated $38.1 million for a strong debut — one that beat out Disney’s Big Hero 6.
Audiences first met Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels’ foolish alter egos in 1994′s Dumb and Dumber, a film that grossed $127.1 million in the U.S. and became an icon of low-brow comedy. Judging by this weekend’s box office, audiences’ tastes haven’t changed too much — even despite the critics’ consensus that the 20-years-later sequel is, well, not great.
It makes sense that moviegoers wouldn’t be too swayed by critical opinion for this movie though: Dumb and Dumber To is pure nostalgia, and people will always love nostalgia, even if it’s bad quality. It helps too that Dumb and Dumber To isn’t exactly a movie made for the critics — it’s no Big Hero 6, and it knows it.
Big Hero 6, on the other hand, is a critical and commercial success. The Disney animated feature debuted alongside Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar last weekend and won: Big Hero 6 grossed $56.2 million while Interstellar brought in $47.5 million. The hype around Big Hero isn’t likely to die down anytime soon thanks to its association with Disney and its family friendliness — there aren’t many other movies out now that parents and kids can both see, and, more importantly, enjoy.
One of the movies kids can see but might not enjoy? Interstellar, a long, science-heavy film with an emotional message. The space drama grossed an estimated $29 million this weekend, dropping only 39 percent from last weekend’s total.
After those three though, the numbers start dropping: Beyond the Lights came in fourth with $6.5 million, while Gone Girl – now in its seventh week — brought in $4.6 million and, predictably, remained in the top five.
1. Dumb and Dumber To – $38.1 million
2. Big Hero 6 – $36 million
3. Interstellar – $29 million
4. Beyond the Lights – $6.5 million
5. Gone Girl – $4.6 million
Jon Stewart’s directorial debut Rosewater also opened this weekend, but only in in 371 theaters, and earned $1.2 million while Foxcatcher opened in six theaters, bringing in $288,000. In other limited release news, The Theory of Everything expanded into 41 theaters and brought in $738,00. Birdman, now in 857 theaters, grossed $2.5 million in its third week and made it into the top 10 for the first time.