The Weekend Report

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Captain America: The Winter Soldier remained at the top of the charts despite significant incoming competition from newcomer Rio 2. The Captain grossed an estimated $40.9 million to the feathered flock’s $38.5 million. The session also featured two other national openers, which fought for positions three and four on the charts. Mirror chiller Oculus bowed to $11.8 million while football-themed Draft Day touched down with $10 million.

Exclusive newcomers were generally short on dynamism with albeit encouraging results for upscale vampire saga Only Lovers Left Alive generating $93,700, and war and reconciliation tale The Railway Man bowing to $62,300. Each film bowed at four stations. Also in limited release was critically-acclaimed Nicolas Cage drama Joe, which punched a soft $99,700 at 48 venues and Brit salsa import Cuban Fury that mis-stepped to $57.200 from 79 screens.

In the niches, Indian imports flooded in with the Telugu Race Gurram in the lead with $870,000. Hindi entries Disco Singh and Bhoothnath Returns followed respectively with $174,000 and 92,300.

Overall revenues for the period were roughly $140 million, ebbing back 18% from the prior weekend. Grosses perked up 19% from 2013 when freshmen entries 42 and Scary Movie 5 were top attractions, with respective grosses of $27.5 million and $14.2 million.

Tracking was strong for the animated sequel Rio 2 but pundits weren’t convinced it could open with sufficient power to surpass Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Friday saw the feathered friend slightly ahead of its rival but the film began to molt Saturday and had to settle for the bridesmaid slot. To no great surprise the picture’s primary appeal was to families that comprised 62% of the initial audience. The gender breakdown tilted female with studio demos that identified them as 57% of the opening audience.

Rio 2 is in its third weekend internationally with a current weekend estimated at $62 million in 62 markets and a cume to date of $125 million.

Neither Oculus nor Draft Day evinced significant interest among potential viewers. The end result was OK for the low budget thriller but a disappointment for the second effort this year to revive Kevin Costner’s career as a leading man. Exit demos for Draft Day provided some surprise with a gender tilt of 51% male and a less unanticipated age bias with 82% of viewers aged 25-years and older. Exit demos were unavailable for Oculus but likely skewed male and younger.

The Raid 2 expanded nationally and failed to land a punch as it attempted to navigate appeal to both arthouse and action aficionados. More encouraging was the addition of 49 sites for daunting sci-fi thriller Under the Skin that grossed $290,000 from 53 screens.

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