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US box office

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Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has topped the North American box office taking $73 million in its opening weekend.

The movie easily topped the chart, which saw Transformers: Age of Extinction slip to second with $16.5 million.

The Apes epic also picked up another $31 million from international markets.

Set 10 years after 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the sequel follows the battle for dominance between humans and intelligent apes.

Andy Serkis has reprised his performance-capture role as Caesar, the ape who leads his species after encountering a colony of humans who survive a deadly virus.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has topped the North American box office taking $73 million in its opening weekend

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has topped the North American box office taking $73 million in its opening weekend

He also famously played Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, which also used performance capture, which electronically tracks an actor’s movements and expressions so they can be translated into computer generated imagery (CGI).

Directed by Cloverfield’s Matt Reeves, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes also stars Gary Oldman, Keri Russell and Jason Clarke.

The sequel opened more strongly than its predecessor, which took $54.8 million during its opening weekend.

A second sequel to be directed by Matt Reeves is already in the works to further extend the franchise which first began with 1968’s Planet of the Apes, based on Pierre Boulle’s French novel.

Four movies followed in the 1970s, as well as a critically panned 2001 reboot by Tim Burton.

Elsewhere on the chart, Melissa McCarthy and Susan Sarandon comedy Tammy – about a fast food worker who gets fired and takes her hard-drinking grandmother on a road trip – was at three with $12.9 million.

Sequels 22 Jump Street and How to Train Your Dragon 2 took the fourth and fifth spots with $6.7 million and $5.9 million respectively.

North American box office Top 5:

  1. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes – $73 million
  2. Transformers: Age of Extinction – $16.5 million
  3. Tammy -$12.9 million
  4. 22 Jump Street – $6.7 million
  5. How To Train Your Dragon 2 – $5.9 million

Source: Rentrak

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Transformers: Age of Extinction has topped the North American box office on an unusually quiet 4th of July weekend.

The movie took $36.4 million, trouncing Melissa McCarthy’s latest comedy, Tammy, which took $21.2 million.

Takings were down 44% compared to last year.

Independence Day weekend is traditionally marked by the release of “tentpole” movies – from Back to the Future to Terminator 2 and Men In Black.

Transformers: Age of Extinction has topped the North American box office on an unusually quiet 4th of July weekend

Transformers: Age of Extinction has topped the North American box office on an unusually quiet 4th of July weekend

Last year’s major release was animation Despicable Me 2, which went on to take $368 million, making it the fourth-biggest movie of the year in the US. But this year, there was no major release to coincide with the holiday.

Michael Bay’s Transformers, the fourth in the series, has a cast led by Mark Wahlberg.

It has received generally poor reviews from critics, as has Tammy.

The only other major new release was the horror movie Deliver Us From Evil, starring Eric Bana. It opened in third place with $9.5 million.

The box office will be hoping for a boost next weekend with the release of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, starring Andy Serkis and Gary Oldman. It is expected to be one of the summer’s big hitters.

North American box office Top 5:

  1. Transformers: Age of Extinction – $36.4 million
  2. Tammy – $21.2 million
  3. Deliver Us From Evil – $9.5 million
  4. 22 Jump Street -$9.4 million
  5. How To Train Your Dragon 2 – $8.8 million

Source: Rentrak

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Transformers: Age of Extinction has topped the North American box office, taking $100 million, the biggest opening weekend of the year so far.

The fourth installment in Michael Bay’s franchise also added another $201.3 million from 37 international territories, including $90 million in China alone.

Transformers: Age of Extinction stars Mark Wahlberg as a mechanic who helps the shape-shifting Autobots fight a new enemy.

Made for a reported $200 million, Age of Extinction met industry predictions for its opening weekend.

The new installment topped Dark of the Moon, the third film in the series, which took in $97.9 million in its opening weekend in 2011, but failed to eclipse the $108.9 milion debut of the second film, Revenge of the Fallen.

Transformers: Age of Extinction has scored the biggest opening weekend of the year so far

Transformers: Age of Extinction has scored the biggest opening weekend of the year so far

Transformers: Age of Extinction is expected to secure a strong second week of release, coinciding with the 4th of July weekend.

The three previous Transformer outings starring Shia LeBeouf as a teenager who befriends robot Optimus Prime, generated nearly $2.7 billion worldwide.

Elsewhere on the chart, 22 Jump Street held firm at number two with $15.4 million, with animation How To Train Your Dragon 2 at three with $13.1 million in box office takings.

Last week’s chart topper, Kevin Hart’s comedy Think Like a Man Too, fell to four with $10.4 million.

Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent was at five with $8.2 million, bringing its total domestic US gross to more than $201 million and its international haul to $586 million.

North American box office Top 5:

1.      Transformers: Age of Extinction – $100 million

2.      22 Jump Street – $15.4 million

3.      How To Train Your Dragon 2 – $13.1 million

4.      Think Like A Man Too – $10.4 million

5.      Maleficent – $8.2 million

Source: Rentrak

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Kevin Hart comedy Think Like A Man Too topped the US box office chart with $30 million.

Clint Eastwood’s film adaptation of hit musical Jersey Boys has only managed to debut at number four.

Jersey Boys, about Frankie Valli’s group, based on the Tony award-winning musical, took just $13.5 million over the weekend.

It featured a mainly unknown cast aside from Christopher Walken and got mixed reviews.

Think Like A Man Too topped the US box office chart with $30 million

Think Like A Man Too topped the US box office chart with $30 million

Think Like a Man Too took $30 million in a slow weekend, narrowly beating 22 Jump Street, which took $29 million in its second week of release.

Dreamworks’ animated sequel How To Train Your Dragon 2 slipped to third spot with $25.3 million, ensuring that the weekend’s top three were all sequels.

Think Like A Man Too only managed to get a 22% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes review site but that did not stop fans flocking to the cinema.

Jersey Boys won the Tony award for best musical in 2006, and productions of it have played all over the world.

Nearly three-quarters of the first-weekend audience for Jersey Boys were over the age of 50, so producers will be hoping the film will be popular for a few weeks – older audiences tend not to rush out to catch a film on its opening weekend.

Angelina Jolie’s live action fairytale Maleficent, rounded out the top five.

The movie passed the $500 million over the weekend at the international box office, making it Angelina Jolie’s highest-grossing live-action film of all time, not accounting for inflation, according to Hollywood Reporter.

North American box office Top 5:

  1. Think Like A Man Too – $30 million
  2. 22 Jump Street – $29 million
  3. How To Train Your Dragon 2 – $25.3 million
  4. Jersey Boys – $13.5 million
  5. Maleficent – $13 million

Source: Rentrak

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Comedy 22 Jump Street has topped the North American box office taking $60 million on its opening weekend.

The sequel to 2012 hit 21 Jump Street sees Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum reprise their roles as bumbling detectives.

Animated movie How to Train Your Dragon 2 opened in second place with $50 million.

22 Jump Street has topped the North American box office taking $60 million on its opening weekend

22 Jump Street has topped the North American box office taking $60 million on its opening weekend

Last week’s number one, teen drama The Fault in Our Stars, fell to number five.

The Fault in Our Stars, starring Shailene Woodley as a girl who finds love after being diagnosed with cancer, has now taken $81.7 million in the US, against a modest budget of $12 million.

Maleficent – Disney’s take on Sleeping Beauty starring Angelina Jolie as the evil fairy – fell one place to three, while Tom Cruise sci-fi Edge of Tomorrow was at four.

Sony Pictures, which distributed 22 Jump Street, said the movie was in line to be the second highest-grossing R-rated comedy in box office history.

Its $60 million debut is the second-biggest opening for an R-comedy behind The Hangover 2‘s $85.9 million haul in 2011.

20th Century Fox said How to Train Your Dragon 2‘s performance was “phenomenal”, after it had been predicted to open somewhere around $45 million – $48 million.

North American box office Top 5:

  1. 22 Jump Street – $60 million
  2. How to Train Your Dragon 2 – $50 million
  3. Maleficent – $19 million
  4. Edge of Tomorrow – $16.2 million
  5. The Fault in Our Stars – $15.7 million

Source: Rentrak

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The Fault in Our Stars has topped the US box office over the weekend easily beating Tom Cruise’s action movie Edge of Tomorrow.

Tom Cruise’s time-shifting movie opened in third place, taking $29.1 million, despite a budget of $175 million.

The Fault in Our Stars made $48.2 million, against a more modest budget of $12 million, topping the US box office.

Based on John Green’s book, the tragic romance stars Shailene Woodley as a teenager with cancer. The audience was 82% female, film studio figures showed.

The Fault in Our Stars made $48.2 million, against a more modest budget of $12 million, topping the US box office

The Fault in Our Stars made $48.2 million, against a more modest budget of $12 million, topping the US box office

Box office analysts Rentrak said the movie’s success, alongside the likes of Twilight and The Hunger Games, showed how big-budget, male-orientated movies now struggled against those with a large, predominantly female, teenage audience.

Film studio Twentieth Century Fox said 79% of the audience for The Fault In Our Stars was under the age of 25.

The book – about a young couple who meet at a cancer support group – generated a huge following on social media and the trailer has been watched more than 21 million times on YouTube.

Edge of Tomorrow, which co-stars Emily Blunt and Tom Cruise in a Groundhog Day-style time loop as they battle an alien invasion, appealed more to men, who made up 61% of the audience.

However, the movie did top the international box office, taking a total of $82 million around the world – much of that in China, Korea and Russia.

Elsewhere in the US chart, Maleficent dropped to second place.

The Disney fairytale, starring Angelina Jolie, took $33.5 million in its second week after debuting in the top spot.

X-Men: Days of Future Past was in fourth place with Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane’s comedy A Million Ways to Die in the West fifth.

US and Canada box Top 5:

  1. The Fault in Our Stars – $48.2 million
  2. Maleficent – $33.5 million
  3. Edge of Tomorrow – $29.1 million
  4. X-Men: Days of Future Past – $14.7 million
  5. A Million Ways to Die in the West – $7.2 million

Source: Rentrak

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Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent has debuted at the top of the North American box office, taking $70 million.

Maleficent, based on the villain from Sleeping Beauty, has given Angelina Jolie her biggest box office debut to date.

Last weekend’s number one, X-Men: Days of Future Past, dropped to second.

The movie took $32.6 million.

Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent has debuted at the top of the North American box office, taking $70 million

Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent has debuted at the top of the North American box office, taking $70 million

The weekend’s second highest new entry was Seth MacFarlane’s Western comedy, A Million Ways to Die in the West, starring Liam Neeson, Charlize Theron and Amanda Seyfried.

But it was a weak opening – $17.1 million – when compared with Seth McFarlane’s Ted, which opened with $54.4 million in 2012.

Despite its success, Maleficent could not match the financial power of Disney’s other recent re-imagined fairytales, Alice in Wonderland – which opened with $116m in 2010 – and Oz the Great and Powerful, which took $79 million in its debut weekend last year.

Maleficent, directed by Robert Stromber – the production designer on Alice in Wonderland and Oz the Great and Powerful, received mixed reviews from critics.

North American box office Top 5:

  1. Maleficent – $70 million
  2. X-Men: Days of Future Past – $32.6 million
  3. A Million Ways to Die in the West – $17.1 million
  4. Godzilla – $12.2 million
  5. Blended – $8.4 million

Source: Rentrak

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X-Men: Days of Future Past has topped the US box office, taking an estimated $91 million.

With totals expected to top more than $110 million over the Memorial Day weekend, X-Men: Days of Future Past has left last week’s number one movie, Godzilla, in its wake.

X-Men: Days of Future Past has topped the US box office, taking an estimated $91 million

X-Men: Days of Future Past has topped the US box office, taking an estimated $91 million

Godzilla earned $31.4 million bringing its total US tally to $149 million since its release.

Blended, starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, took the third spot.

The rom-com, which sees Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore reunite on the big screen for a third time, took a disappointing $14.2 million.

Seth Rogen and Zac Efron comedy Neighbors took $14 million, taking it over the $100 million in the US while The Amazing Spider-Man 2 rounded out the top five with $8 million in its fourth weekend on release.

X-Men: Days of Future Past, a time-travelling sequel to the 2011 reboot of the X-Men franchise sees Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman, being sent from a dystopian future back to 1973 to save the future of mutantkind.

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Godzilla has topped the US box office with the second biggest opening of the year so far, beating The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s debut.

Godzilla 3D took $93.2 million, putting it just behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which took $95 million when it opened in April.

The new take on the 1954 Japanese original stars Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen.

Godzilla has topped the US box office with the second biggest opening of the year so far

Godzilla has topped the US box office with the second biggest opening of the year so far

Last week’s top film Neighbors was in second place with Spider-Man third.

Neighbors, starring Seth Rogen, Zac Efron and Rose Byrne, earned $26 million in its second week at the US and Canada box office.

Andrew Garfield’s second outing as Peter Parker in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 took $17 million, according to estimates from Rentrak.

In fourth place was new entry Million Dollar Arm, a Disney sports drama starring Jon Hamm, while Cameron Diaz’s comedy The Other Woman was in fifth.

North America box office:

  1. Godzilla – $93.2 million
  2. Neighbors – $26 million
  3. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – $17 million
  4. Million Dollar Arm – $11 million
  5. The Other Woman – $6.3 million
  6. Heaven Is for Real – $4.4 million
  7. Rio 2 – $4 million
  8. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $3.8 million
  9. Legend of Oz – $2 million
  10. Mom’s Night Out – $1.9 million

Source: Rentrak

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has been unseated by Seth Rogen and Zac Efron’s comedy film Neighbors unseated at the top of the US box office.

The film, which is being released as Bad Neighbors in the US, sold $51 million of tickets over the weekend.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 took $37 million, according to estimates.

Cameron Diaz comedy The Other Woman held onto third place with Heaven Is for Real and Captain America: The Winter Soldier completing the top five.

Seth Rogen and Zac Efron's comedy film Neighbors has unseated Spider-Man at the top of the US box office

Seth Rogen and Zac Efron’s comedy film Neighbors has unseated Spider-Man at the top of the US box office

Neighbors sees Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne as new parents who find themselves engaged in a battle of wits when a rowdy fraternity house, led by a frequently shirtless Zac Efron, moves in next door.

The sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man, which sees Andrew Garfield reprise his role as the web-slinging superhero, has made more than $550 million in worldwide ticket sales so far.

Christian drama Heaven Is for Real has been the surprise hit of the year so far. Telling the story of a 4-year-old who says he experienced Heaven during emergency surgery, it has earned more than $75 million on an estimated budget of just $12 million.

US box office Top 5:

  1. Neighbors – $51 million
  2. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – $37.2 million
  3. The Other Woman – $9.25 million
  4. Heaven Is for Real – $7 million
  5. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $5.6 million

Source: Rentrak

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Marvel sequel The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has topped the North American box office with takings of $92 million on its opening weekend.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 enjoyed the second best domestic debut of the year so far, just behind Disney’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The latter took $96 million in its first weekend in April.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 enjoyed an overseas haul of $116 million over the weekend.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has topped the North American box office with takings of $92 million on its opening weekend

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has topped the North American box office with takings of $92 million on its opening weekend

That brings the film’s international total to $370 million after three weeks on release outside the US and Canada.

The movie sees Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield) defending himself against numerous super villains including the Rhino, played by Paul Giamatti.

The sequel bumped last week’s North American number one – The Other Woman, starring Cameron Diaz – into second spot, with takings of $14.2 million.

Heaven is for Real, the story of a young boy who claims to have visited heaven during a near-death experience, was third with $8.6 million.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier was fourth with $7.7 million in its fifth week, with animation Rio 2 at number five with $7.6 million.

A fair comparison with the 2012 opening of The Amazing Spider-Man is difficult, since the first film opened the week of the 4th of July, when the US has a national holiday – it took $62 million on its opening weekend and $137 million over its first week.

Sony has two more Spider-Man movies due for release in 2016 and 2018.

North American box office Top 10:

  1. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ($92 million)
  2. The Other Woman ($14.2 million)
  3. Heaven is for Real ($8.6 million)
  4. Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($7.7 million)
  5. Rio 2 ($7.6 million)
  6. Brick Mansions ($3.5 million)
  7. Divergent ($2.2 million)
  8. The Quiet Ones ($2 million)
  9. God’s Not Dead ($1.8 million)
  10. The Grand Budapest Hotel ($1.7 million)

Source: Rentrak

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier has topped the US box office for a third week.

Starring Chris Evans, Robert Redford and Scarlett Johansson, Captain America: The Winter Soldier made $26.2 million, beating avian animation Rio 2 into second place.

Heaven is for Real, the story of a young boy who claims to have visited heaven during a near-death experience, was number three over Easter weekend.

But Johnny Depp’s new sci-fi thriller Transcendence fared poorly.

Directed by Batman cinematographer Wally Pfister, Transcendence sees Johnny Depp playing a dying computer genius, who uploads his consciousness to a supercomputer and achieves a problematic digital afterlife.

After suffering poor reviews, the movie opened in fourth place, taking $11 million, a fraction of its $100 million production budget.

It is Johnny Depp’s third movie in a row to stumble at the box office, following last summer’s The Lone Ranger and Tim Burton’s comedy misfire Dark Shadows.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier has topped the US box office for a third week

Captain America: The Winter Soldier has topped the US box office for a third week

“As we approach the summer movie season, box-office drawing power becomes more about the concept of the movie rather than its star,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak.

“It may not have been so much (about) Johnny Depp, but audiences right now like brands that they know.”

The US top 10 also contained three movies with a religious theme. Following Heaven is for Real came biblical epic Noah at 9, and God’s Not Dead at 10.

God’s Not Dead, about a religious freshman college student who debates with his professor on the existence of God, has made $48 million over the last five weeks, even though it is playing in far fewer venues than the blockbuster fare at the top of the chart.

North American box office Top 10:

  1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($26.6 million)
  2. Rio 2 ($22.5 million)
  3. Heaven is for Real ($21.5 million)
  4. Transcendence ($11.2 million)
  5. A Haunted House 2 ($9.1 million)
  6. Draft Day ($5.9 million)
  7. Divergent ($5.75 million)
  8. Oculus ($5.2 million)
  9. Noah ($5 million)
  10. God’s Not Dead ($4.8 million)    Source: Rentrak  [youtube 7SlILk2WMTI 650]

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier remained at the top of the US box office for a second week, holding off competition from new release, Rio 2.

The Marvel sequel, which set a new US record for an April release last week, took $41.4 million, adding to the previous week’s haul of $96 million.

Animated adventure Rio 2 was close behind, raking in $39 million on its debut, according to early estimates.

Low budget horror Oculus and football drama Draft Day were third and fourth.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier remained at the top of the US box office for a second week

Captain America: The Winter Soldier remained at the top of the US box office for a second week

Oculus took $12 million – more than double its $5 million budget – while Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner and directed by Ivan Reitman, took $9.8 million.

Globally, The Winter Soldier also continued to fly, taking $60.6 million over the weekend.

Captain America sequel has made nearly $477 million globally since its release internationally three weeks ago. That figure has already surpassed the $370 million total for 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger.

Teen Sci-Fi movie, Divergent, took fifth position, adding $7.5 million in its fourth week to bring its cumulative total to $124.9 million.

Lionsgate announced last week that the third installment in the series will be split into two releases, one to open in March 2016 and one in March 2017. The second film will be released in 2015.

North American box office Top 5:

  1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $41.4 million
  2. Rio 2 – $39 million
  3. Oculus – $12 million
  4. Draft Day – $9.8 million
  5. Divergent – $7.5 million [youtube 7SlILk2WMTI 650]

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier topped the US box office taking $96 million in its opening weekend.

Captain America sequel also claimed a new US record for an April release.

The sequel to the 2011 original film about the Marvel superhero, starring Chris Evans, toppled biblical epic Noah, which stars Russell Crowe.

Its takings exceeded the record set in 2011 by the racing movie Fast Five, which collected $86.2 million in ticket sales.

The top three was rounded off by dystopian action thriller Divergent.

Divergent, starring Shailene Woodley and Kate Winslet has earned a total of $114 million since its release in the US on March 21.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier topped the US box office taking $96 million in its opening weekend

Captain America: The Winter Soldier topped the US box office taking $96 million in its opening weekend

Noah‘s $17 million over the weekend, add to its current US tally of $72 million.

But internationally the film – a big budget CGI-packed take on the story of Noah and the ark – has continued to be a controversial subject, with Malaysia and Indonesia reportedly the latest countries to ban the film.

The UAE, Qatar and Bahrain are among Middle Eastern countries which have also banned Noah as it breaks Islam’s taboo of depicting a prophet.

Another film which tackles religious subject matter, the critically panned God’s Not Dead, has continued its strong form, taking $7.7 million and rising to number four in the chart from last week’s fifth spot.

Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, starring Ralph Fiennes, F Murray Abraham and Jude Law rounded out the top five with $6.3 million.

Originally released on March 7 to just four cinemas, Grand Budapest Hotel has now spread to 1,263 screens.

 North American box office Top 5:

  1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier – $96 million
  2. Noah – $17 million
  3. Divergent – $13 million
  4. God’s Not Dead – $7.7 million
  5. The Grand Budapest Hotel – $6.3 million[youtube 7SlILk2WMTI 650]

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Russell Crowe’s Noah has opened at the top of the US box office, taking $44 million over the weekend.

The epic biblical tale of Noah’s ark, directed by Black Swan’s Darren Aronofsky, also stars Jennifer Connolly and Emma Watson.

The movie follows in the wake of other recent religious films, including God’s Not Dead and Son of God.

Other faith-based movies out this year include Exodus and Heaven is Real.

Second on the box office chart was teen science fiction thriller, Divergent, starring Shailene Woodley and Kate Winslet, which took $26.6 million in its second week of release.

Noah has opened at the top of the US box office, taking $44 million over the weekend

Noah has opened at the top of the US box office, taking $44 million over the weekend

Muppets Most Wanted, also in its second week, took third spot with $11.4 million.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman and God’s Not Dead – about a Christian college student whose faith is challenged by his atheist philosophy professor – rounded out the top five.

The second-highest new entry was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Sabotage, which could only manage takings of $5.3 million.

Friday sees the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier in the US and Canada.

The movie more than doubled Noah‘s takings at the international box office this weekend – Captain America took $75.2 million, while Noah picked up $33.6 million.

North American box office Top 5:

1. Noah – $44 million

2. Divergent – $26.5 million

3. Muppets Most Wanted – $11.4 million

4. Mr. Peabody and Sherman – $9.5 million

5. God’s Not Dead – $9 million

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Divergent has topped the US box office over the weekend.

Based on the Veronica Roth books, the sci-fi thriller took $56 million over the weekend, studio estimates said.

Divergent is the third franchise based on young-adult best-sellers from Lionsgate after Twilight and The Hunger Games.

The movie made less than anticipated but Richie Fay president of domestic distribution for Lionsgate called it “a great beginning”.

Twilight opened with $69.6 million and The Hunger Games with $152.5 million.

Shailene Woodley and Theo James star in Divergent, which also features Kate Winslet and is set in a dystopian Chicago where society is divided into five factions and one of them, the Divergents, are targeted to be destroyed.

The Muppet sequel Muppets Most Wanted, starring Ricky Gervais did not do as well as expected, taking just $16.5 million over the weekend.

Divergent has topped the US box office over the weekend

Divergent has topped the US box office over the weekend

The original Disney Muppet movie reboot opened with $29.2 million in 2011.

Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney, admitted it was disappointing, especially as advance tracking had suggested the sequel would do much better.

In its third week of release, Mr. Peabody and Sherman continued to do well – it took $11.7 million putting it in third place.

The biggest surprise was the film God’s Not Dead, which made $8.6 million, despite playing on just 780 screens.

The independently released faith film is about a college student who battles his philosophy professor, as he refuses to sign his declaration that God is Dead in order to pass his course.

Meanwhile the film version of the TV show Veronica Mars made just $144,000 in its second week.

Veronica Mars, which was funded by fans via Kickstarter, has made a total of $2.9 million for Warner Bros.

North American box office Top 5:

1. Divergent – $56 million

2. Muppets Most Wanted – $16.5 million

3. Mr. Peabody and Sherman – $11.7 million

4. 300: Rise of an Empire – $8.7 million

5. God’s Not Dead – $8.6 million

Source: Rentrak

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Animated adventure Mr. Peabody and Sherman has beaten high-octane action movie Need For Speed at the US box office this weekend.

Need For Speed, starring Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul, was largely tipped for pole position, but it entered at number three with takings of $17.8 million.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman 3D cartoon rose to top spot with $21.2 million after making its debut in second place last week.

However, at the global box office, Need For Speed came first.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman finished in third spot in countries outside of the US and Canada.

Need For Speed is based on the popular video game featuring the street-racing character Tobey Marshall.

In North America, 300: Rise of an Empire took second place after a hefty $45.1 million number one opening last week.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman has beaten high-octane action movie Need For Speed at the US box office

Mr. Peabody and Sherman has beaten high-octane action movie Need For Speed at the US box office

But the film failed to match the debut of its predecessor 300, which starred Gerard Butler.

Other new entries included Tyler Perry’s latest offering, The Single Moms Club, at number five, seen as a relatively poor performance for the US hit film-maker and actor.

Wes Anderson’s latest film The Grand Budapest Hotel came in at number eight on the back of screenings in just 66 cinemas.

North American box office Top 5:

1. Mr. Peabody & Sherman – $21.2 million

2. 300: Rise of an Empire – $19.1 million

3. Need For Speed – $17.8 million

4. Non-Stop – $10.6 million

5. The Single Moms Club – $8.3 million

Source: Rentrak

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300: Rise of an Empire topped the North American box office this weekend, earning $45.1 million in the US and Canada.

The sequel to 2006 hit 300 also took $87.8 million worldwide.

300: Rise of an Empire did not equal its predecessor’s first weekend tally of $70.9 million in North America, but still performed far above expectations.

Set in ancient Greece, the movie depicts a sea battle between Greeks and Persians.

The film only briefly features 300 star Gerard Butler as King Leonidas – leader of the Spartan army who famously held off a vastly superior Persian force – concentrating instead on a female warrior played by Casino Royale‘s Eva Green.

Eva Green’s participation is understood to have boosted the female audience for this male-skewed release to 38% – a 9% increase on the original’s 29%.

300: Rise of an Empire topped the North American box office this weekend, earning $45.1 million in the US and Canada

300: Rise of an Empire topped the North American box office this weekend, earning $45.1 million in the US and Canada

Outside North America, the film was also the top draw in Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK.

Some $12 million of its opening weekend tally from the 58 markets in which it played came from 3D Imax screenings.

In the US and Canada, Noam Murro’s follow-up to Zack Snyder’s comic book-inspired original comfortably saw off Mr. Peabody & Sherman, its nearest competitor.

The animated title about a time-travelling dog and his human son took $32.5 million between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates.

Liam Neeson’s airborne action film Non-Stop – last week’s number one – fell to three in this week’s chart, taking $15.4 million in the US and an additional $12 million worldwide.

Toy spin-off The Lego Movie and the Christianity-themed Son of God rounded out this week’s top five, according to box office tracking firm Rentrak.

North American box office Top 5:

1. 300: Rise of an Empire – $45.1 million

2. Mr. Peabody & Sherman – $32.5 million

3. Non-Stop – $15.4 million

4. The Lego Movie – $11 million

5. Son of God – $10 million

Source: Rentrak

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Thriller Non-Stop, in which Liam Neeson plays a federal air marshal, has topped the North American box office chart.

Liam Neeson’s character must stop a string of murders on an international flight.

The film took $30 million at US and Canadian cinemas between Friday and Sunday, according to studio estimates.

Non-Stop took $30 million at US and Canadian cinemas over the weekend

Non-Stop took $30 million at US and Canadian cinemas over the weekend

Son of God took $26.5 million to reach second place. The film is adapted from the History Channel’s mini-series The Bible, about the life of Jesus.

The film, which surpassed box office predictions, stars Portuguese actor Diogo Morgado as Jesus and was made by reality TV producer Mark Burnett.

The success of Non-Stop and Son of God pushed The Lego Movie down to third place after three weeks in the top spot.

The Lego Movie made $21 million over the weekend, taking its North American box office total to $209 million.

George Clooney’s World War II drama The Monuments Men was a distant fourth, earning $5 million.

The Monuments Men was followed by 3 Days to Kill, in which Kevin Costner plays an over-the-hill international spy, which took $4.9 million.

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The Lego Movie topped the North American box office this weekend taking $69.1 million.

George Clooney’s film about Nazi-looted art, The Monuments Men, took $22.7 million.

The critics have not generally been kind to his fact-based tale.

A spokesman for the Sony studio was upbeat about its performance, saying it was “right where we hoped to be”.

The Lego Movie enjoyed the biggest opening of 2014 so far. A sequel is already in development.

Will Ferrell and Liam Neeson are among the voice cast in Warner Brothers’ collaboration with the popular Danish top brand.

The Lego Movie topped the North American box office this weekend taking $69.1 million

The Lego Movie topped the North American box office this weekend taking $69.1 million

The new arrivals at the top of this week’s chart saw last week’s number one film, cop comedy Ride Along, fall down to three.

Disney animation Frozen also fell two places to four, while raunchy rom-com That Awkward Moment dropped down to five.

Teen film Vampire Academy opened poorly in seventh place with a first weekend tally of $4.1 million.

North American box office Top 5:

1. The Lego Movie – $69.1 million

2. The Monuments Men – $22.7 million

3. Ride Along – $9.4 million

4. Frozen – $6.9 million

5. That Awkward Moment – $5.5 million

Source: Rentrak

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Hunger Games: Catching Fire has topped the US box office for a second week, while Disney’s Frozen opening has come at number two.

According to early estimates, the Hunger Games sequel took $110.2 million while Frozen took $93 million.

That figure made Frozen the biggest Thanksgiving opening ever.

Catching Fire and Frozen both beat the Thanksgiving box office record of $82.4 million set by Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001.

Dave Hollis, Walt Disney executive vice president for distribution, said: “This was much more than we ever could have thought,” adding that it was the biggest-ever opening for one of its releases.

Disney’s Tangled opened during the Thanksgiving period in 2010, taking $68.7 million.

Frozen tells the story of a Scandinavian princess who tries to save her kingdom after the queen – her sister – accidentally uses her magic powers to freeze the country.

Disney’s action film Thor came in third with $15.5 million.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire has topped the US box office for a second week

Hunger Games: Catching Fire has topped the US box office for a second week

Ensemble movie The Best Man Holiday took $11.1 million to claim fourth spot, while Homefront, written by Sylvester Stallone and starring Jason Statham, was the second highest new entry at five with $9.8 million.

But Spike Lee’s latest offering, Oldboy, failed to make a big dent on the chart, taking just $850,000.

Nelson Mandela biopic, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, took $100,306 – but that will be considered a solid return given it only opened in four cinemas in New York and Los Angeles.

The North American box office took $294 million in total, another record, just beating last year’s five-day Thanksgiving takings of $290 million.

North American box office Top 5:

1. Hunger Games: Catching Fire – $110.2 million

2. Frozen – $82.4 million

3. Thor: The Dark World – $15.5 million

4. The Best Man Holiday – $11.1 million

5. Homefront – $9.8 million

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Hunger Games: Catching Fire has topped the US box office chart this weekend with takings of $161 million.

The Hunger Games sequel narrowly failed to become the biggest opener of the year, falling short of Iron Man 3‘s debut of $174 million.

However, Hunger Games: Catching Fire, starring Jennifer Lawrence, did achieve the most successful November opening of all time.

Its performance dominated cinema-going in North America, with nearest rival Thor taking in a mere $14.1 million.

The only other new entry, Disney comedy Delivery Man, starring Vince Vaughn, had to settled for fourth place and box office returns of $8.2 million.

Catching Fire managed the fourth biggest US opening of all time, behind The Avengers, Iron Man 3 and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part II.

More complicated box office marketing in recent years has boosted box office returns, with higher-priced Imax and 3D tickets and early Thursday night screenings being taken into account.

Catching Fire earned 8% of its first weekend takings from higher priced Imax tickets.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire has topped the US box office chart this weekend with takings of $161 million

Hunger Games: Catching Fire has topped the US box office chart this weekend with takings of $161 million

The second outing of the Hunger Games franchise had a more lavish budget, outperforming the first film in its first week at cinemas, and appealing to a wider audience.

The first film, released last year, took $152 million in its opening weekend.

The latest film is based on Suzanne Collins’ trilogy of dystopian novels where young people fight one another to the death on live television.

North American box office Top 5:

1. Hunger Games: Catching Fire – $161 million

2. Thor: The Dark World – $14.1 million

3. The Best Man Holiday – $12.5 million

4. Delivery Man – $8.2 million

5. Free Birds – $5.3 million

Source: Hollywood.com

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Thor: The Dark World has topped the US box office for a second week but romantic comedy The Best Man Holiday opened strongly in second place.

Thor: The Dark World took $38.5 million over the weekend, while The Best Man Holiday took $30.6 million.

The Best Man Holiday, which reunites the characters from 1999’s The Best Man, is considered a surprise challenger to Thor‘s crown.

It features a largely African-American ensemble cast, including Taye Diggs and Morris Chestnut.

The romantic comedy follows a group of college friends who reunite over Christmas and reignite old rivalries and romances.

Movies that appeal particularly to black audiences – particularly those by prolific director Tyler Perry – have recently been surpassing expectations at the US box office.

Third place in this week’s chart was taken by Last Vegas – a “sexagenarian version of The Hangover” – starring Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline as four old friends on a stag weekend, with takings of $8.9 million.

Thor: The Dark World has topped the US box office for a second week

Thor: The Dark World has topped the US box office for a second week

Animation Free Birds was fourth with $8.3 million, followed by Jackass comedy Bad Grandpa in fifth spot with $7.7 million.

Oscar-tipped sci-fi Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, held firm in sixth place, while Harrison Ford’s Ender’s Game slipped from third to seventh.

Twelve Years a Slave was in eighth position, with Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks, in ninth.

British romantic comedy About Time was at number 10.

The race for the lucrative Christmas box office starts this Friday, with the opening action movie Hunger Games: Catching Fire – which is expected to score one of the year’s biggest debuts.

North American box office: Top 5

1. Thor: The Dark World – $38.5 million

2. The Best Man Holiday – $30.6 million

3. Last Vegas – $8.9 million

4. Free Birds – $8.3 million

5. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – $7.7 million

Source: Hollywood.com

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Thor: The Dark World topped the North American box office, taking $86.1 million in its opening weekend.

The sequel to the 2011 movie sees Chris Hemsworth reprise his role as the god of thunder who battles to save Earth from evil forces.

Bad Grandpa, from the makers of Jackass, held the number two spot for a second week, taking $11.3 million.

Animated film Free Birds was just behind at three with $11.2 million.

Free Birds features the voices of Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson as a pair of turkeys who try to keep their kind off Thanksgiving dinner plates.

Last Vegas, featuring Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline as four friends who reunite for a stag party, fell one place to four.

Thor: The Dark World topped the North American box office, taking $86.1 million in its opening weekend

Thor: The Dark World topped the North American box office, taking $86.1 million in its opening weekend

Last week’s number one, Ender’s Game, tumbled down the chart in its second week to five.

Industry forecasts had predicted the second Thor installment would debut with at least $90 million. The new movie missed that target but did surpass the original film, which opened with $65.7 million.

North American Box Office Top 5:

1. Thor: The Dark World – $86.1 million

2. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – $11.3 million

3. Free Birds – $11.2 million

4. Last Vegas – $11.1 million

5. Ender’s Game – $10.2 million

Source: Hollywood.com

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Ender’s Game has topped the US box office chart in its opening weekend.

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, about an 86-year-old and his 8-year-old grandson, was shunted into second after hitting the number one spot last week.

Sci-Fi adventure Ender’s Game, a story about children forced to fight an enemy race, took $28 million according to estimates.

The film stars Harrison Ford as a commander who manipulates a young boy (Asa Butterfield) into leading a war.

Double Oscar nominee Viola Davis plays Harrison Ford’s second in command.

Ender's Game has topped the US box office chart in its opening weekend

Ender’s Game has topped the US box office chart in its opening weekend

Based on the best-selling 1985 novel of the same name, Ender’s Game was in line with box office forecasts which predicted it would take between $25 million and $30 million in its debut weekend.

This was despite calls by some to boycott the film after the book’s author, Orson Scott Card, made some comments expressing his opposition to gay marriage.

But with the highly anticipated Thor: The Dark World opening next week, box office analyst Jeff Bock said: “It looks like Ender’s Game is one-and-done… (next weekend) there won’t be much of the box office pie left for Ender’s Game.”

Last Vegas, featuring an all-star cast including Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, opened in third place with $16.5 million.

Children’s animation Free Birds, which features the voices of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler, debuted in fourth spot with takings of $16.2 million.

Gravity, now in its fifth week, rounded out the top five.

US Box Office Top Five

1. Ender’s Game – $28 million

2. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – $20.5 million

3. Last Vegas – $16.5 million

4. Free Birds – $16.2 million

5. Gravity – $13.1 million

Source: Hollywood.com

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