Pamela McClintock of THR:
Denzel Washington's The Equalizer proved the actor's continuing popularity at the North American box office, debuting to an estimated $35 million from 3,236 theaters and marking the third-best opening of his career.
The $55 million action thriller, reuniting Washington with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, is based on the 1980s TV series created by Michael Sloan and Richard Lindheim and skewed older, with 65 percent of ticket buyers over the age of 30. Audiences gave the film an A- CinemaScore, in line with strong reviews. It played more evenly than expected gender-wise, with males making up 52 percent of the audience, and females, 48 percent.
"He's one of the few actors on the planet that really appeals to everyone. And he and Antoine just bring out the best in each other," Sony distribution chief Rory Bruer said.
Washington's top opening of all time is American Gangster ($43.6 million) in 2007, followed by Safe House ($40.2 million) in 2012. Rival studios have Equalizer slightly lower than $35 million, but as long as it comes in north of $32 million when final numbers are released Monday, it will remain Washington's third-best domestic launch. And Equalizer marks a career best for Equalizer for Fuqua (Training Day debuted to $22.6 million in 2001).
Heading into the weekend, Sony was conservative in its projections, suggesting a launch in the $25 million to $30 million. It's no surprise, considering how volatile the domestic box office has been in recent months. Still, the studio was so keen on Equalizer's prospects following its premiere at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival that it was already developing a sequel. It made Equalizer with Village Roadshow Pictures and LStar Capital.
The Equalizer benefited from playing in Imax theaters and large-format screens, the preferred venue for males. It also features Eminem's new single, "Guts Over Fear," featuring Sia.
The R-rated film stars Washington as McCall, a former member of the special forces who is now leading a quiet life. But when he meets a young girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) under the control of ultraviolent Russian gangsters, he can't stand idly by and comes out of his self-imposed retirement to do battle on the streets of Boston.
Sony's marketing chief Dwight Caines waged an aggressive digital effort for Equalizer, as well as holding tastemaker screenings in 15 major cities with the help of sports stars such as Michael Strahan, Dwight Howard and Tiger Woods, as well as NFL teams the Chicago Bears and the San Francisco 49ers.
Equalizer took a big bite out of Liam Neeson's action movie A Walk Among the Tombstones, which tumbled 67 percent in its second weekend to $4.1 million for a domestic total of $20.9 million. The movie placed No. 7.
Focus Features' 3D family offering The Boxtrolls was the weekend's other new nationwide entry, earning a hearty $17.3 million, the best showing for Oregon-based animation house Laika, not accounting fro inflation. Its two previous releases, which also went through Focus, were Coraline ($16.8 million) and ParaNorman ($14.1 million).
Boxtrolls, earning a B+ CinemaScore, narrowly lost the No. 2 spot at the box office to holdover The Maze Runner, which earned $17.5 million in its second weekend for a pleasing domestic total of $58 million for 20th Century Fox.
Directed by Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable, Boxtrolls' star-studded voice cast includes Ben Kingsley, Isaac Hempstead Wright, Elle Fanning, Dee Bradley Baker, Steve Blum, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, Tracy Morgan and Simon Pegg.
Boxtrolls features a boy named Eggs, who has been raised by a community of quirky, mischievous creatures living in a cavernous home beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town's villain, Archibald Snatcher, comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture aboveground to save the day.
Shawn Levy's adult-skewing dramedy This Is Where I Leave You came in No. 4 in its second weekend, falling 39 percent to $7 million from 2,868 theaters for a total $22.6 million. Fellow Warner Bros. release Dolphin Tale 2 took the No. 5 spot in its third weekend with an estimated $4.8 million from 3,376 locations for a total of $33.7 million.
Here are the estimated top 10 films for the weekend of Sept. 26-28 at the domestic box office:
1. The Equalizer, 1/3,236, Sony/Village Roadshow, $35 million
2. The Maze Runner, 2/3,638, Fox, $17.5 million, -46%, $58 million
3. The Boxtrolls, 1/3464, Focus Features, $17.3 million
4. This Is Where I Leave You, 2/2,868, Warner Bros., $7 million, -39%, $22.6 million
5. Dolphin Tale 2, 3/3,376, Warner Bros./Alcon, $4.8 million, -45%, $33.7 million
6. No Good Deed, 3/2,130, Sony/Screem Gems, $4.6 million, -53%, $46.6 million
7. A Walk Among the Tombstones, 2/2,714, Universal/Cross Creek, $4.2 million, -67%, $20.9 million
8. Guardians of the Galaxy, 9/2,451, Disney/Marvel, $3.8 million, -28%, $319.2 million
9. Let's Be Cops, 7/1,534, 20th Century Fox, $1.5 million, -44%, $79.6 million
10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 7/1,585, Paramount, $1.45 million, -45%, $187.2 million
Next Up: In David Fincher's thriller Gone Girl for Fox that is based on author Gillian Flynn's novel, Ben Affleck stars as a husband whose wife (one time frontrunner Rosamund Pike) disappears during their fifth anniversary - leaving him the prime suspect for her murder.
In the drama The Good Lie directed by Philippe Falardeau Sudanese refugees given the chance to resettle in America arrive in Kansas, where their encounter with employment agency (Reese Witherspoon) counselor forever changes all of their lives.
Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema's "Annabelle," the spin-off film centering on the haunted doll character from last year's hit supernatural thriller "The Conjuring" is ready for the fright.
We also get the first film in a proposed new trilogy of motion pictures based on Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins's Christian-themed "Left Behind" novel series. The sixteen book series is set in the aftermath of The Rapture, the Christian event in which that religion's true believers are transported to heaven. What remains of the world is shattered and chaotic, and from these ashes rises a Romanian politician promising to restore stability - a politician who is actually the Antichrist.
Nicolas Cage Lea Thompson Cassi Thomson Chad Michael Murray William Ragsdale (the original Fright Night) singer Jordin Sparks Martin Klebba and Nicky Whelan star.
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