"Ride Along" Runs Over "I, Frankenstein" at Weekend Box Office

[JamesG]

Weekend Report: Ride Along Runs Over I, Frankenstein
by Ray Subers
January 26, 2014


With its bizarre, poorly-explained premise and derivative fantasy action, I, Frankenstein was dead on arrival this weekend. As a result, Ice Cube/Kevin Hart comedy hit Ride Along easily cruised to a second consecutive victory.

After setting a new January opening record last weekend, Ride Along fell 49 percent to an estimated $21.2 million. Through 10 days, the buddy comedy has banked $75.4 million, and it's on pace to reach $100 million in the next two weeks.

Don't be surprised if Ride Along 2 gets formally announced soon.







In its third weekend, Lone Survivor dropped 43 percent to $12.6 million.

The Afghanistan war drama has now earned $93.6 million, and is on pace to pass Zero Dark Thirty ($95.7 million) sometime this week.







In third place, The Nut Job eased 37 percent to $12.3 million. That's a solid hold for an animated movie, though it is a bit worse than November's Free Birds (30 percent).

To date, The Nut Job has taken in $40.3 million.








Frozen moved up a spot to fourth place this weekend; the animated blockbuster's $9.04 million haul ranks sixth all-time among ninth weekends.

In the process, Frozen topped Finding Nemo to become the highest-grossing original animated movie ever (excluding re-release grosses) with over $347 million.

With a sing-along version reaching theaters next weekend, Frozen should have no problem passing Despicable Me 2 ($368.1 million) by mid-February.








Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit rounded out the Top Five this weekend with $8.8 million, which is off 43 percent from opening weekend.

So far, the movie has earned $30.2 million, which is less than The Sum of All Fears brought in on its first weekend over a decade ago.







Opening at 2,753 locations, I, Frankenstein bombed with just $8.3 million. That's less than half of last year's Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, and is a far cry from the $20-million-plus debut for each of the four Underworld movies.

To make matters worse, it even opened lower than The Legend of Hercules, which had a more modest marketing effort and still managed to eke out $8.9 million.



Plenty of bad movies do decent business each year—that's because studio marketing departments spend plenty of money pulling out the best parts of these duds and piecing together marketing material that makes them look mildly appealing.

Unfortunately, I, Frankenstein is the rare case where there doesn't seem to have been enough to even produce a coherent two-and-a-half minute trailer. Audiences figured this one out and for the most part stayed far, far away.



Those that did give I, Frankenstein a look tended to be older (60 percent over 25) and male (62 percent). Roughly 60 percent of ticket sales were from 3D showings, which is unusually high.

The movie received a middling "B" CinemaScore; combined with its terrible 5 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, expect this to fall off quickly in the coming weeks. A final total below $20 million is likely.








Dallas Buyers Club expanded to 1,110 locations—its widest release yet—and earned $2.05 million.

To date, the Oscar-nominated drama has earned $20.4 million.







After two months in limited release, Alexander Payne's Nebraska finally expanded nationwide this weekend. Playing at 968 theaters, the Oscar nominee earned $1.44 million.

Unless something drastic happens, Nebraska now seems poised to be the lowest-grossing Best Picture nominee from 2013.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3776&p=.htm









January 24-26, 2014 Weekend Studio Estimates:


1. Ride Along $21,162,000 / $75,407,000
2. Lone Survivor $12,601,000 / $93,615,000
3. The Nut Job $12,316,000 / $40,271,000
4. Frozen $9,035,000 / $347,816,000
5. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit $8,800,000 / $30,168,000
6. I, Frankenstein $8,275,000
7. American Hustle $7,100,000 / $127,039,000
8. August: Osage County $5,041,000 / $26,527,000
9. The Wolf of Wall Street $5,000,000 / $98,030,000
10. Devil's Due $2,750,000 / $12,886,000

[Tubehead]

ride a lone looks funny. I wont to see , Frankenstein. kind of looks like hugh jack men's ven helsing. it looks like something I might like I did go see the nut job I highly recommend it to any one with kids I also just saw Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit it kind of like the Bourne series .

[Tubehead]

the nut job,
I, Frankenstein
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
saving Mr. banks
Robocop

today going to see 3 days to kill.