The jokes about something going flaccid are, er, no... can’t finish that sentence without adding to the metaphor. But suffice to say, Fifty Shades Of Grey saw a massive slump in ticket sales this weekend, dropping 72 per cent, and yet still earning enough to hold on to the box-office throne across the pond.
With $23.2 million this weekend, the much-derided, yet hugely successful film ($410.6 million worldwide and counting after just one week in release) saw its takings drop precipitously, presumably as those who were fascinated to see what the fuss was about or were wanting to see the book they enjoyed brought to life, crowded into the first weekend, which got a boost from Valentine’s Day audiences. But neither last week’s competition nor any of the underperforming new arrivals could bump the movie from its prime spot. Matthew Vaughn’s latest, OTT spy romp Kingsman: The Secret Service, dropped just 51 per cent for a $17.5 million second weekend, with its earnings now over $130 million in the States.
Third place went again to The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water, which made $15.5 million. The best performance of the new movies went to inspiration sports title McFarland, USA, with Kevin Costner coaching an unlikely running squad. It took in $11.3 million for fourth, ahead of** The DUFF **(short for 'Designated Ugly Fat Friend'), a high school comedy that has drawn both negativity and comparisons to Mean Girls with the tale of a young woman who discovers she’s in the titular role among her friends. The film made $11 million.
Sixth was American Sniper, continuing a strong run in the charts and adding $9.6 million this weekend. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 sank on arrival, achieving one of the worst recent openings for an R-rated comedy, performing even worse than the original, which at least managed third place. The sequel landed seventh, made $5.8 million and appears unlikely to spawn a third film. That said, no-one predicted that the 2010 pic would become successful enough on home entertainment formats to warrant another try, so perhaps it’s too early to tell...
Jupiter Ascending continues to descend, here falling to eighth place and $3.6 million, while The Imitation Game dropped one position to ninth with $ 2.5 million. Paddington clung to the bottom of the charts, falling from seventh to 10th and taking in $2.2 million as he did so.
To see Christian Grey wonder where his money is going to in the full chart listings,head to Box Office Mojo.