The Kevin Hart-Ice Cube comedy “Ride Along” is heading for a repeat win at the box office this weekend, after a $6.3 million Friday put it on pace for $20.5 million three-day total.
With “Lone Survivor” running second and pacing for $12 million, Universal Pictures should have the top two movies for the second week in a row, and will claim its third straight weekend win. “Ride Along” upped its domestic total to $60 million total and the Afghan war drama starring Mark Wahlberg is at $81 million after opening at No. 1 three weeks ago.
The weekend’s only wide release, the effects-heavy horror update “I, Frankenstein,” took in $2.8 million from 2,753 theaters for third Friday. The gothic action film starring Aaron Eckhart will be passed by family films “The Nut Job” and “Frozen” on Saturday and Sunday however, and will have trouble cracking $10 million.
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“I, Frankenstein” is distributed by Lionsgate and was produced for $65 million by Lakeshore Entertainment, the company behind the “Underworld” movies. Those all opened over $20 million, but analysts had expected the “Frankenstein” would do about half that. First-night fans gave it a “B” CinemaScore.
Open Road’s animated “The Nut Job” brought in $2.5 million Friday from 3,427 theaters, a roughly 48 percent drop, and is looking at second week of around $11 million and third place.
That put it ahead of Paramount’s “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,” the Tom Clancy franchise reboot starring Chris Pine. It took in $2.6 million Friday from 3,387 locations and is heading for a soft $9 million in its second week.
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Disney’s animated blockbuster “Frozen” was fifth after Friday after skating to $2 million Friday – off just 20 percent from last week. That puts it on pace for a $9 million 10th week and raises its domestic total to $340 million and it global haul to $767 million.
David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” was the top Oscar contender Friday. The con-man comedy added nearly $2 million Friday and has run it domestic total to roughly $122 million in its seventh week. “Silver Linings Playbook,” Russell’s 2012 Oscar contender, took in $135 million overall.
Focus Features’ Matthew McConaughey-Jared Leto AIDS drama “Dallas Buyers Club” was in 1,110 theaters, its widest release so far. It brought in $544,000 and could hit $2 million for the weekend. It’s at $18 million after 13 weeks.
After two months in limited release, Paramount went wide with Alexander Payne’s “Nebraska” this weekend. The black-and-white drama starring Bruce Dern brought in a quiet $407,000 from 968 theaters. It’s made just over $10 million in 11 weeks domestically.
The overall weekend was typically slow, and in line with last year’s comparable week, when “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters” was No. 1 with $19.5 million.
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