Box-office boost for Paramount

The latest ‘Star Trek’ beams into first place, while ‘Lights Out’ beats expectations.

The studio’s “Star Trek Beyond” is No. 1 for the weekend, with an estimated haul of $59.6 million.

With Capt. Kirk and Spock leading the USS Enterprise, Paramount’s “Star Trek Beyond” took over the box office this past weekend, unseating Universal’s “The Secret Life of Pets.”

“Star Trek Beyond,” the third installment since director J.J. Abrams revived the franchise in 2009, took in an estimated $59.6 million in the U.S. and Canada, close to analyst expectations of about $60 million. Though down about 15% from its 2013 predecessor, “Star Trek Into Darkness,” the debut is considered a solid debut for the big-budget picture and a welcome success for a studio that could use a hit after the relative disappointments of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows” and “Zoolander 2.”

“Star Trek Beyond” had several factors working in its favor, including a loyal fan base and largely stellar early reviews. While audiences (57% male, 73% 25and older) gave the film an A-minus CinemaScore, 84% of critics on the review site Rotten Tomatoes rated it favorably.

Megan Colligan, the studio’s head of worldwide distribution, credited the film’s reception, including an audience increase in youth and women, to Lin’s pedigree, the lead track by and promotion help from pop star Rihanna, and the addition of Elba to the movie.

“Idris as a villain was great addition,” she said. “He’s super cool, and I hear that women really like him.”

Of the picture’s domestic total, $8.4 million came from IMAX screens. IMAX locations accounted for four of the film’s top five domestic engagements and 16 of the top 20.

Paramount has already announced a fourth “Star Trek,” featuring “Thor” and “Ghostbusters” star Chris Hemsworth. The weekend’s performance bodes well for the next film, Colligan said.

Dropping to second was “The Secret Life of Pets,” adding an estimated $29.3 million in its third week. The animated picture has grossed $260.7 million domestically to date. Adding an international take now at $63 million, the film’s global gross sits at $323.7 million.

Sony’s all-female led “Ghostbusters” came in third in its second weekend with an estimated $21.6 million. This brings the film’s domestic gross to $86.9 million. A new release from Warner Bros.’ New Line Cinema, “Lights Out,” tied for third with $21.6 million in the U.S and Canada and had an international take of $8.3 million. The PG-13 supernatural horror tale beat analyst expectations of $16 million to $18 million.

Costing just $5 million, the film about a brother and sister tormented by a supernatural entity when left home alone stars Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman and Maria Bello. It’s directed by David Sandberg.

Moviegoers and critics alike have received the picture well. Audiences gave it a B CinemaScore, and 77% of Rotten Tomatoes critics rated it positively.

“Lights Out” represents another massive success for New Line’s line of horror movies. The studio also had success with “The Conjuring 2,” which has taken in more than $300 million worldwide since its June 10 debut.

Finishing up the top five was fellow new release “Ice Age: Collision Course,” from 20th Century Fox. The computer-animated picture pulled in $21 million in the U.S. and Canada, falling below analyst projections of $25 million. But the film already has an international take nearing $180 million.

“This franchise is still very viable on a global basis,” said Chris Aronson, the studio’s head of distribution. “It’s a good business to be in, the ‘Ice Age’ business.”

Audiences gave the film a B-plus CinemaScore, but only 13% of Rotten Tomatoes critics rated it positively.

The performance of the fifth movie in the “Ice Age” franchise is not surprising, given the dominance of pictures such as “Pets” and Disney-Pixar’s “Finding Dory.” But international business, where “Ice Age” movies tend to do a vast majority of their sales, will be important. Before its U.S. debut, the film, which had a $105-million production budget, had already logged an impressive $127 million internationally.

Films of note in limited releases include “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie,” from Fox Searchlight. The Rrated comedy took in an estimated $1.9 million on a little over 300 screens.

In its second week, Woody Allen’s “Café Society” grossed $364,291 at 50 locations.

This week, STX Entertainment’s “Bad Moms,” Universal’s “Jason Bourne” and Lionsgate’s “Nerve” premiere.