Kevin Hart continues to be lightning in a box-office bottle. His romantic comedy “About Last Night” opened to $13 million, topping Friday along with “The Lego Movie.”
Warner Bros.’ 3D animated comedy juggernaut is still the favorite to win the weekend, and could go as high as $60 million when swarms of families are expected to out over the four-day Presidents Day weekend.
The big Valentine’s Day start puts Sony’s R-rated “About Last Night” on track for a strong $35 million four-day haul, more than double its $13 million production budget. Michael Ealy, Regina Hall and Paula Patton co-star with Hart in this update of the 1986 rom-com that starred Demi Moore and Rob Lowe as a young couple launching a committed relationship.
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Another 1980s remake, Universal’s “Endless Love,” took third Friday with $7.3 million and is heading for a four-day haul of $20 million – roughly its production budget. This version features Alex Pettyfer and Gabriella Wilde in the roles played by Martin Hewitt and Brooke Shields in the original 1981 tale of troubled young love.
Both “About Last Night” and “Endless Love” targeted couples and got the love – and “A-” CinemaScores – from first-night audiences.
MGM’s “Robocop” isn’t showing as much muscle as many expected, but should still finish third over the four days. The $100 million action tale, the third redo of an ’80s movie to hit the market this weekend, brought in $7 million to finish fourth Friday. It will likely top out near $20 million for the four days and is looking at an underwhelming $25 million since its opening on Wednesday.
The 3D “Robocop,” directed by Jose’ Padilha, is expected to do better overseas and has taken in $34 million internationally ahead of this weekend’s broad foreign rollout.
Akiva Goldsman‘s “Winter’s Tale,” the weekend’s fourth wide opener, was seventh Friday with $3.6 million. Warner Bros.’ fantasy romance starring on pace for around $10 million for the long weekend, in line with low expectations for the film, produced for around $45 million.
“Winter’s Tale” stars Colin Farrell and Jessica Brown Findlay (TV’s “Downton Abbey”), Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly, William Hurt and Eva Marie Saint. The feature directing debut for Goldsman, the writer behind “A Beautiful Mind,” “I, Robot” and “The Da Vinci Code,” received a “B”
CinemaScore.
“The Monuments Men” and “Ride Along” were fifth and sixth Friday.
George Clooney‘s World War II art heist saga took in $5 million – just a 28 percent drop from last week – and should come in at around $18 million over the four days in its second week for Sony.
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Universal’s “Ride Along,” the buddy comedy starring Hart and Ice Cube, brought in $3.4 million Friday and should finish with around $10.5 million for the four days, which would put its domestic total at $118 million.
“Frozen,” “That Awkward Moment” and “Lone Survivor” rounded out the top ten.
The overall weekend could hit $200 million, well ahead of last year, when “A Good Day to Die Hard,” “Identity Thief” and “Safe Haven” led the way.