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Kristen Wiig stars in the new Ghostbusters. (Getty)
The new Ghostbusters film was one of the most scrutinized movies to hit theaters since Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in March. While Sony’s new take on the classic ’80s film did as well as previous Melissa McCarthy movies, the studio isn’t going to be ecstatic, especially since it opened in second place with an estimated $46 million.
‘Ghostbusters’ Gives McCarthy Her Best Opener
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Melissa McCarthy and husband Ben Falcone. (Getty)
Ghostbusters gave McCarthy her career-best opener, topping 2013’s The Heat, which opened to $39.1 million and co-starred Sandra Bullock. That film was also directed by Paul Feig. (McCarthy also had a role in The Hangover Part III, which opened to $41.6 million in 2013.)
A $46 million opening is pretty good for a summer comedy, but Sony had to be hoping for something more after spending $144 million on it. The film’s reviews also leaned on the positive side, making it even more surprising that the film couldn’t even reach $50 million.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the audience was more female (57 percent) and older, with 63 percent of the audience over 25. The film also earned a B+ CinemaScore grade overall. The A- CinemaScore Grade from those under 18 is a good sign though.
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‘Pets’ Keeps the Crown, but ‘Dory’ Keeps on Swimming
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The Secret Life of Pets Crew: Producer Janet Healy, Actors Jenny Slate, Eric Stonestreet , Ellie Kemper, Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, and directors Chris Meledandri and Chris Renaud. (Getty)
Illumination and Universal’s The Secret Life of Pets added $50.6 million in its second weekend, bringing its domestic total to $203.1 million, according to Box Office Mojo statistics.
Disney and Pixar’s Finding Dory added another $11 million, bringing its domestic total to $445.5 million. It’s already the highest-grossing domestic release of the year after just four weekends. Its international total is up to $721.7 million.
The only other wide release of the weekend was The Infiltrator with Bryan Cranston. The movie made $5.3 million, opening in eighth place. Woody Allen‘s Cafe Society took in $335,000 from just five locations.
Here’s this weekend’s chart.
| The Secret Life of Pets (Universal) | $50.5 million |
| Ghostbusters (Sony) | $46 million |
| The Legend of Tarzan (Warner Bros.) | $11.1 million |
| Finding Dory (Disney) | $11 million |
| Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (20th Century Fox) | $7.5 million |
| The Purge: Election Year (Universal) | $6.1 million |
| Central Intelligence (Warner Bros.) | $5.3 million |
| The Infiltrator (Broad Green) | $5.3 million |
| The BFG (Disney) | $3.7 million |
| Independence Day: Resurgence (20th Century Fox) | $3.4 million |