Some films, you have high expectations for. Movies that just cannot, and should not, ever fall at the box office. Pacific Rim is one such movie. It is essentially an anime film wherein giant robots punch monsters so hard that merely being in their presence violates your cellphone warranty.
But Pacific Rim, despite being incredibly well reviewed didn’t exactly set the box office on fire. The Jaegers of that film fell to not one, but two family comedies this week. Here’s a look at the North American top ten.
Despicable Me 2 remained in a firm first place, adding over $44 million over the weekend to an already impressive total global haul of $472 million. Meanwhile, the latest Adam Sandler rat pack film edged out Pacific Rim for the second spot place to earn itself over $42 million over the weekend. Yep, you heard me right, Adam Sandler and his pals are far more popular than giant robots. Here’s how everyone else did:
- Despicable Me 2 – $44.7 million
- Grown Ups 2 – $42.5 million
- Pacific Rim – $38.3 million
- The Heat – $14 million
- The Lone Ranger – $11.1 million
- Monsters University – $10.6 million
- World War Z – $9.4 million
- White House Down – $6.1 million
- Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain – $5 million
- Man of Steel – $4.8 million
Pacific Rim may have been a solid earner for director Guillermo Del Toro based on internet chatter for the film, but regular audiences were most likely experiencing blockbuster fatigue after a recent avalanche of high budget films that stretched from Krypton to the old West. With no real star power and Del Toro being somewhat of an unknown director still in the states, Pacific Rim is going to need to rely on international markets if it wants to experience any chance of success. Speaking of which, things didn’t look too good for The Lone Ranger or Man of Steel.
The Lone Ranger fell several slots down in its second week, while Man of Steel was teetering on the edge of the top ten. Things aren’t looking that bad for the film though. Man of Steel has made over $619 million so far globally, making it a success, and with a Japanese release coming up soon, expect that film to finish up with a few million dollars more before it departs for Blu-Ray. It may not have made Iron Man 3 levels of cash, but considering how crowded the box office was when it was released, it’s a damn good showing and a clear indicator towards the future of this franchise.
Last Updated: July 15, 2013
Lardus
July 15, 2013 at 12:24
Too many movies coming out in quick succession. Luckily I am very picky on what movies I spend a fortune on to see in the cinema…on snacks since Vitality tickets are cheap. Pacific Rim is on my list, as is Wolverine. After that, nothing on my radar. Fatigue set in years ago!
Skyblue
July 15, 2013 at 18:43
Put the following on your radar, there should be something you’ll want to see:
Riddick
Filth
Oldboy
Only God Forgives
Elysium
The Wolf of Wall Street
Don Jon
You’re Next
And there is a great Metallica movie coming as well!!
Lardus
July 15, 2013 at 20:27
Hmmm Riddick, forgot about that! OK, that is also back on my radar. Elysium only if the friends insist and it is in 2D. The rest…nothing
OminousRain
July 16, 2013 at 14:55
I also go out of my way to go watch the 2D versions of Films.
And love watching my fav films on screen 10 at Menlyn, but for some reason they show the lamest movies on screen 10 lately. Not even man of Steel was on screen 10.
Kervyn Cloete
July 15, 2013 at 14:14
THIS IS WHY WE CAN’T HAVE NICE THINGS!
James Francis
July 15, 2013 at 15:53
I agree – Pacific Rim will likely clean up internationally. I don’t think it’ll hurt Del Toro’s cachet either – like Tarantino he has a rep for getting great traction outside of the U.S. As for Grown-Ups 2, it’s not surprising since the first film was Sandler’s highest-grossing release yet. Not that I found it funny at all, but that’s taste for ya…