Pamela McClintock of THR:
Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington's R-rated action pic 2 Guns easily won the North American box office race with a solid $27.4 million, while Sony's The Smurfs 2 limped to a third-place finish as Hollywood overcrowds the box office with family films.
Smurfs 2 took in $18.2 million for the weekend for a disappointing five-day debut of $27.3 million, compared to the $35.6 million opening of The Smurfs in late July 2011. Sony is banking on the sequel to make up ground overseas; rolling out in 42 markets this weekend, the CGI/live-action pic took in $52.5 million for a worldwide total of $80.3 million.
Dampened by a heat wave in Europe, the sequel's international debut was 4 percent behind the 2011 film but still did impressive business. It opened No. 1 in the U.K. ($5.1 million) and No. 2 in France ($4.2 million). In Russia, the pic took in $5.4 million, a third bigger than the original Smurfs. Latin America ponied up a $18 million, led by Brazil ($4.7 million) and Mexico ($4.3 million). A worldwide gross of $500 million isn't out of the question, based on these numbers, according to one insider.
Smurfs 2, placing No. 3 domestically behind 2 Guns and holdover The Wolverine, is problematic for Sony as the studio continues to fend off shareholder activist Daniel Loeb.
The Wolverine, coming in No. 2 in its second weekend for 20th Century Fox, took in $21.7 million for a North American total of $95 million. The Hugh Jackman superhero pic, continuing to do big business overseas, grew its foreign total to $160.2 million for a worldwide cume of $255.2 million.
From Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur, 2 Guns was fueled by an ethnically diverse audience, with African-Americans making up 28 percent of the audience and Hispanics, 14 percent. Interestingly, women made up 49 percent of the audience.
The action pic, earning a B+ CinemaScore and infused with a heavy dose of humor, cost between $80 million and $90 million to produce, although the net budget was $61 million after tax incentives. Emmett/Furla Films and Foresight Unlimited financed and produced the film, with Foresight Unlimited handling international rights. The film project generated huge interest among foreign distributors, with Sony Worldwide Acquisitions Group buying rights to much of the world.
2 Guns revolves around a DEA agent (Washington) and Naval Intelligence officer (Wahlberg) who must work together after they are set up by the CIA. Wahlberg and Kormakur first worked together on action pic Contraband, which debuted to $24.3 million in January 2012.
Smurfs 2, scoring an A- CinemaScore, is a victim of too many family films. Opening two weeks ago, DreamWorks Animation's Turbo has also underperformed as it opened in the wake of Universals' megahit Despicable Me 2.
Despicable 2, now in its fourth weekend, continues to stay high up on the box office chart, grossing $10.4 million over the weekend to place No. 5 and pushing its domestic total to $326.7 million. Overseas, the animated tentpole has now earned $387 million for a worldwide total of $713.7 million.
Turbo placed No. 7 in North America for a domestic total of $69.5 million
Hollywood has never opened so many family films in a single summer. This season boasts Epic, Monsters University, Despicable 2, Turbo, Smurfs 2 and Planes, which hits theaters in two weeks (there's also the Percy Jackson sequel, though that will skew older).
Based on the comic book series created by the Belgian artist Peyo, Smurfs 2 is the second title in a planned trilogy (The Smurfs 3 is set for summer 2015). The sequel sees all of the main cast returning, with Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria reprising their live-action roles. Jonathan Winters, who died this spring, and Katy Perry lead the voice cast, while Raja Gosnell returns to the director's chair.
At the specialty box office, Lindsay Lohan's erotic thriller The Canyons failed to make much of a dent, grossing a meek $15,200 at the IFC Center in New York City. However, the pic was a strong draw on VOD, according to IFC Films, which is distributing the film domestically. Canyons was directed by Paul Schrader and written by Bret Easton Ellis.
Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine was a big winner has it expanded into a total of 50 locations, grossing $1.9 million for a location average of $40,441 and cume of $3 million The Sony Pictures Classics film, starring Cate Blanchett, is outperforming Allen's Midnight in Paris.
Next Up: I sure hope that the Wednesday opener "Percy Jackson And The Sea of Monsters" has better luck than the Smurfs did; Small-time drug dealer Jason Sudeikis hires a fake wife played by Jennifer Aniston, and two teens (Emma Roberts, Will Poulter) in the comedy We're the Millers; Neill Blomkamp’s latest sci-fi film Elysium is finally here; Just as Disney's Planes prepares to land at the cineplex
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