The Weekend Report

The serpent got slain by the bad boys of 22 Jump Street, which debuted in the marketplace with an estimated $60.4 million. That still left considerable coin for the opening of How to Train Your Dragon 2, with $50.1 million.

Among exclusive freshmen the most impressive was the Australian futuristic revenge saga The Rover that bowed at Cannes and entered the U.S. with $66,200 from five engagements. Another fest fave Violette from France grossed $17,300 at two location.

The session also featured several arresting niche entries including the cycling drama La Petite reine that bowed to a solid $282,000 in its native Quebec. The signs weren’t as bright for SF paranoia entry The Signal that grossed $141,000 at 120 venues. But the curiosity of the frame was the re-entry of the faith-based Alone Yet Not Alone based on an 18th-century incident of women kidnapped by Native Americans. The film opened briefly last year but is only now receiving a wider release with impressive results of $620,000 from 103 screens.

Overall, business rose to about $195 million for an upbeat of 17% from the prior weekend. However box office was down 7% from 2013 when newcomers Man of Steel and This is the End held top spots with respective entries of $116.6 million and $20.7 million.

The predictive class had given the weekend edge to How to Train Your Dragon 2 with estimated for 22 Jump Street in a $55 million to $60 million range that the sequel pushed a little bit further. The TV-inspired sequel about very unconventional undercover cops received unexpectedly positive reviews with equally surprising strong response from a younger crowd. Studio exit demos identified an opening crowd equally split between men and women and with 56% of viewers aged 25-years and younger.

22 Jump Street got a head start last weekend with openings in Australia and Holland that grossed a potent $9 million.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 previewed in nine foreign climes a week back to a less fulsome $3.4 million and significantly under-performed in its domestic debut. It tilted slightly female with 53% of the audience and 56% of viewers aged 25-years and younger. While the marketplace is hardly overflowing with family fare some of the new film’s momentum was subsumed by a strong hold from Maleficent.

Internationally Dragon opened day-and-date in 25 international markets with an estimated $25 million.

On the alternative side Chef continues to hold well with its domestic cume passing $14 million. Additionally the Canadian The Grand Seduction expanded its U.S. profile as did Words and Music, with both films passing the $1 million bar.

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