Equalizer wins battle of sequels
So much for light summer fare at the box office.
The Equalizer 2, marking Denzel Washington’s return as a former CIA agent out for revenge, unexpectedly took the top spot in U.S. and Canadian theaters, knocking off predicted winner Mamma Mia! Here We Go Againin the debut weekend for both movies.
The surprise victory for the spy movie from Sony Pictures shows just how difficult it is for something such as a musical comedy to win big at the box office. Animated films, superhero pictures and action-thrillers have dominated the box office this year, opening at No. 1 in almost every weekend, according to Box Office Mojo.
The Equalizer 2 opened with a take of $35.8 million (U.S.), while Here We Go Again had $34.4 million in sales, researcher ComScore Inc. said in an email Sunday. The weekend’s other debut, Unfriended: Dark Web, delivered $3.5 million for BH Tilt, taking ninth place.
Box office receipts for Equalizer 2 beat the original, which opened in September 2014 to $34.1 million, going on to earn $101.4 million domestically. 1. The Equalizer 2, $35,825,000 2. Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, $34,380,000 3. Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, $23,150,000 4. Ant-Man and the Wasp, $16,126,000 5. Incredibles 2, $11,520,000 6. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, $11,005,000 7. Skyscraper, $10,960,000 8. The First Purge, $4,980,000 9. Unfriended: Dark Web, $3,495,000 10. Sorry to Bother You, $2,823,000