Three newcomers failed to do much at this weekend’s box office. “Expendables 3,” “Let’s Be Cops,” and “The Giver” all failed to crack $20 million or jump ahead of their older competition. In week two, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” held on to first place again. Another $26 million will bring its total to $125 million. The reboot is a bona fide hit and naturally a sequel is already in the works.
In second place, “Guardians of the Galaxy” hauled in another $23 million during weekend three, bringing its domestic take to $221 million.
Coming in a distant third is “Expendables 3,” which is smelling like a flop at $16 million. According to Deadline, that is a whopping 40% lower than “Expendables 2,” which opened to $28 million in 2012. The first “Expendables” opened to $35 million in 2010.
The scourge of piracy might have something to do with the under-performance. Prior to its opening, a high-definition copy of the film was leaked online and downloaded a whopping 5 million times, which adds up to $40 million in box office. Let’s be honest; the franchise started to feel a little tired about an hour into the last chapter. It took the winds out of its own sails. Which is a shame. For my money, part three is far and away the best “Expendables” yet.
“Let’s Be Cops” will land in 4th place with a $15 million weekend. This isn’t as bad as it looks. The buddy comedy opened Wednesday. By Monday the total take will edge $23 million. The news isn’t all good. The box office fall-off since a pretty solid Wednesday debut probably means “Let’s Be Cops” will disappear sooner than Fox would like.
In fifth is the young adult, sci-fi thriller “The Giver,” which is looking at a $13 million debut. This long-gestating passion project was co-financed by The Weinstein Company and Walden Media for $30 million. I found the movie pretty special and hope it eventually finds an audience — if not in theaters, on home video.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
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