Taking a big box-office bite
The animated film’s $47.5-million debut is the biggest opener ever for September.
“Transylvania 2,” above, had a record September debut.
The animated “Hotel Transylvania 2” made $47.5 million in the U.S. and Canada over the weekend to become the biggest September movie opening of all time.
The sequel, released by Sony’s Columbia Pictures label, launched with a robust haul that far exceeded the studio’s expectations and beat industry projections of $32 million to $37 million.
“Transylvania 2” marks the biggest debut for Sony Pictures Animation, which spent about $80 million to produce the film. It also marks the third time in four weeks that Sony has been No. 1 at the box office, following the success of the thriller “The Perfect Guy” and the faith-based “War Room.”
“We’re on a roll right now,” said Rory Bruer, Sony’s head of distribution. “This is a huge opening.”
“Transylvania 2” features the voices of such celebrities as Adam Sandler and Selena Gomez. Like its predecessor, the second film was largely knocked by critics but well received by audiences, especially families. Those who saw the PG-rated movie gave it an average grade of Aminus, according to audience polling firm CinemaScore.
An estimated 60% of moviegoers were younger than 25; 59% were female.
Abroad, the franchise has also become a hit. It collected $29.2 million from more than 6,500 screens across 42 markets. Sony said that was up about 150% compared to the original. The sequel played especially well in Latin America, particularly in Mexico, where it launched with $7.9 million.
Family films have been few since “Minions” opened in July. However, “Hotel Transylvania 2” did face competition from last weekend’s top film, “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials.”
The “Maze Runner” sequel fell to No. 3, adding $14 million to its domestic total of $51.7 million.
Coming in second for the weekend, the Warner Bros. comedy “The Intern” opened with a better-thanexpected $18.2 million in the U.S. and Canada.
The film, which cost about $40 million to make, is the latest from director Nancy Meyers (“It’s Complicated”). It follows Jules (Anne Hathaway), the founder of an Internet startup, after she hires a 70-yearold intern (Robert De Niro).
“Nancy Meyers has an instant credibility,” said Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. executive vice president and general sales manager. “People connect to her concept and the story lines. Beyond that, I think good movies always find a strong audience.”
Moviegoers responded positively to Hathaway and De Niro, giving the film an Aminus average, according to CinemaScore. On Rotten Tomatoes, 56% of the reviews were positive, higher than other new movies this weekend. Audiences were mostly older (55% older than 50) and female (62%).
“Everest” added $13.1 million when expanding to 3,006 theaters in its second weekend. The film from Universal Pictures, Working Title, Cross Creek Pictures and Walden Media opened in a limited number of premium theaters first, in hopes that positive buzz would support the wider release.
In limited release, Lionsgate’s “Sicario” surged 341% after expanding to 59 locations in its second weekend. Well Go USA Entertainment’s “Lost in Hong Kong,” a Mandarin-language follow-up to the 2013 Chinese hit “Lost in Thailand,” grossed $558,900 on 27 screens, for a per-screen average of $20,700 in the U.S. and Canada.
But “Stonewall,” the Roland Emmerich-directed film dramatizing the 1969 gay-rights riots at Stonewall Inn in New York, failed to draw art-house audiences. The Roadside Attractions picture grossed $112,414 in 129 theaters — a per-theater average of just $871 — according to early figures from research firm Rentrak.