A treat for ‘Madea,’ a trick for ‘Inferno’
Tom Hanks. Tom Cruise. Ben Affleck. None of them has been a match for Tyler Perry’s Madea.
In a surprise victory at the weekend box office, Perry’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween” toppled another A-lister as Hanks’ and Ron Howard’s latest Dan Brown adaptation, “Inferno,” went up in flames. Perry’s latest movie about the tough-talking grandmother remained No. 1 for the second straight week with an estimated $16.7 million.
That was enough to scare away the third installment of the “Da Vinci Code” franchise. According to studio estimates Sunday, “Inferno” bombed with $15 million, about half of what more bullish predictions anticipated.
Sony Pictures and “Inferno” could take solace in stronger overseas business. In three weeks of international release, the Italy-set film has earned nearly $150 million. And Hanks has still notched the fall’s biggest hit with Clint Eastwood’s “Sully.”
It’s been an especially star-studded season, with Cruise in “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back” ($9.6 million in its second week) and Affleck in “The Accountant” ($8.5 million in its third week).
But Perry’s long-running character has fared better than each, at least in North America. The Halloweenthemed “Boo,” released by Lionsgate, has made $52 million in 10 days, making it Perry’s biggest hit since 2009’s “Madea Goes to Jail.”