There was some much needed good news for beleaguered DreamWorks Animation this weekend as its latest CG ‘toon offering, alien invasion comedy Home, scored a win at the US box office, opening in first place with $54 million, according to studio estimates.
The company has suffered several embarrassing write-offs in recent years and has been selling facilities and downsizing staff at a fast pace. But Home, which scored a surprise victory over Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart’s latest, Get Hard, will help to bolster the company’s bottom line.
And perhaps it wasn’t that much of a surprise: after all, the new comedy from **Tropic Thunder **writer Etan Cohen, which sees Ferrell as a dim bulb Wall Street trader framed for fraud and sentenced to maximum security prison, has been beset by its own issues, with complaints about racist and homophobic comedy and terrible reviews. The movie opened to $34.6 million Stateside, and has made $39 million worldwide in its first weekend.
**The Divergent Series: Insurgent **slipped quickly from its prime position last weekend, earning $22 million across the last three days for an $86.3 million domestic total to date. Cinderella fell from second to fourth, adding $17.5 million, which pushed it across the $150 million border. Showing strong legs despite a much more limited release, horror pic It Follows scared up $4 million as it added cinemas and jumped into the top ten at fifth place.
Kingsman: The Secret Service continues to do well, dropping one place to sixth with $3 million, while Run All Night was down from third to seventh and $2.2 million. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel dipped one place to eighth, taking in $2.18 million, while faith-based film Do You Believe? couldn’t believe its bad luck, falling from sixth to ninth with $2.15 million. Finally, at tenth, we find Sean Penn and The Gunman, which has fallen down the charts and earned $2 million this weekend.
To see a cute alien beat up two grown comedians in the full chart listings, head to Box Office Mojo.