- Box Office
World Box Office, May 2-8
One hundred and ffifty one years after General Robert E. Lee signed his surrender at Mclean House in Appomattox Virginia, millions of Americans are choosing sides and heading off to the front to support their factions in a war where, whatever happens, Disney and Marvel are the winners. Captain America: Civil War hit the US box office this weekend and jumped straight into the history books with a $181.8 million domestic debut. Chris Evans as the title character faces off against Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man in an explosive conflict which, after the events of Age of Ultron, is poised to split the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in two. The picture, which could turn out to be the biggest movie of 2016, followed up a stellar international debut last weekend to record the 5th largest North American opening of all time.
It had an equally outstanding session overseas starting with China, where the Captain inspired a $96.5 million debut run. There it made the second best three-day opening in history, finishing just behind Hollywood’s Middle-Kingdom box office champ Transformers: Age of Extinction’s initial figures. It’s made $9.1 million and $6.9 million in new markets Russia and Italy, and became the 5th best industry opening ever in Argentina. Cap’s South Korean haul reached $53.9 million, while the UK climbed to $40.4 million and Mexico clocked in at $34.4 million. The combined global cumulative is now $678.3 million after two weeks of international and one week of domestic play.
Disney has now crossed the billion dollar mark domestically, the two billion mark internationally, and with Alice Through the Looking Glass, Doctor Strange, the Finding Neo sequel Finding Dory, Doctor Strange, and finally Rogue One: A Star Wars Story still on the slate for 2016, The House of Mickey Mouse is an easy favorite to win the studio profit wars this year.
As if the studio didn’t already have enough cause to celebrate this weekend, John Favreau’s The Jungle Book took second at home and abroad, raking in a total of $45.9 million after more than a month in theatres. Domestic play took a 50% drop but was still worth a very decent $21.8 million. It has now reached a global cume of $776.18 million, with Japanese and South Korean openings still to come.
Third on the domestic chart went to Open Road’s Mother’s Day. The picture, which comes from “chick-flick” king Garry Marshall, made $9.3 million in its second weekend. It stars Jennifer Anniston, Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson, and Jason Sudeikis. It made $3 million overseas as well for a two-week global cume of $20.7 million.
In another bit of alternative programming success Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising made $9 million in its limited international debut. It stars Seth Rogen, Rose Byrne and Zac Efron, the first film’s antagonist, who returns to help Rogen and Byrne battle a new set of hard-partying neighbors from hell.
Next weekend we’ll try and keep up with Captain America: Civil War and get a clearer picture of whether this film will turn out to be one of the biggest of all time or merely a gargantuan success. Also coming up are Money Monster, a financial thriller directed by Jodie Foster and starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, and Kate Beckinsale’s and Chloe Sevigny’s period piece Love & Friendship.