4 Reasons Why ‘Trainwreck’ Broke Out at Box Office – Besides Amy Schumer

Judd Apatow’s return to form, LeBron James and John Cena’s social media muscle all contributed

There’s no doubt Amy Schumer is the biggest reason R-rated comedy “Trainwreck” broke out at the box office this weekend, but she had plenty of help.

The comedian’s star power went supernova as “Trainwreck,” which Schumer also wrote, blew past analysts’ expectations and tracking with a $30 million third-place opening, final Monday figures show. That was behind only the debut of Marvel’s “Ant-Man,” which took in $57 million for Disney, and another Universal Pictures release, Illumination Entertainment’s animated “Minions,” which had a $49 million second weekend.

The success of “Trainwreck” broke a run of underwhelming performances by R-rated comedies — the big-screen version of HBO’s hit “Entourage,” Melissa McCarthy’s well-reviewed “Spy” and “Ted 2.”

Want to keep reading?

Create a free account, or log in with your email below.

 

Gain access to unlimited free articles, news alerts, select newsletters, podcasts and more.

 

Comments