Three new films tried to push two beloved groups of superheroes out of the top spots at the box office this weekend – and failed to do so. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles repeated in the #1 spot, dropping 57% to make $28.4 million. Given the poor word-of-mouth, lots of competition for action crowds and teen audiences, and pent-up demand for last weekend, that really isn’t a terrible number at all. With a $117.6 million cume in 10 days, expect Turtles to end up with between $170 and $180 million in North America.
By the end of next weekend, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will surpass the total gross of the 1990 screen version featuring the same characters. However, due to 3D and much higher ticket prices, the 2014 update will end up being seen by around two thirds of the same audience in theaters. Still, for a film that had a lot of negative buzz attached before its release, it will end up as one of the biggest late-summer hits in history.
Speaking of August blockbusters, Marvel’s sarcastic superheroes, the Guardians of the Galaxy, held well in second place, receiving an extra $24.7 million. Its 41% third weekend drop keeps its run gunning at a similar pace to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which dropped 38% over Easter weekend (its third) to make $25.6 million. The total for Guardians is $222.3 million domestically (with nearly $200 million more overseas). By Labor Day, it will be the year’s highest-grossing film in North America, and is expected to keep that spot until The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 opens in November. A tally just under $300 million is predicted.
Even with lots out for teens and little star power, the comedy Let’s Be Cops had a surprisingly high debut, finishing in third place with an estimated $17.7 million. That’s a higher opening weekend than the star-studded comedy Sex Tape, which debuted to $14.6 million last month. With a strong $26.1 cume since its opening on Wednesday, the Jake Johnson/Damon Wayans Jr. comedy will get around the same number of viewers in its first week that New Girl (which stars the two actors) receives weekly.
Let’s Be Cops, budgeted at $17 million, appealed to a younger demographic, even with an R rating. A reported 54% of the crowd was under 25. Despite a mediocre B CinemaScore, with few comedies coming out over the next month, Let’s Be Cops could have staying power at the box office, in the vein of mid-August releases We’re the Millers and Tropic Thunder.