September 30, 2013 by Vinnie Leduc
No other movie ever had a chance to spoil the forecast of a successful Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 debut at the domestic box office over the weekend. Playing in a record 4,002 theaters for a September release, the 3D computer animated sequel from Sony Pictures grossed more than the next three films combined. The Cloudy sequel’s $34 million opening was good for fourth highest all-time for a September release, only trailing last year’s Hotel Transylvania (also from Sony Pictures Animation), Sweet Home Alabama, and Insidious: Chapter 2 from a couple weeks ago.
The feast of Meatballs pushed reigning champ Prisoners into a distant second, which barely held off the wide expansion of Ron Howard’s Formula 1 biopic, Rush. Trailing the Chris Hemsworth vehicle by less than $1 million was rom-com Baggage Claim, which edged another opener, Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut Don Jon, by less than half a million.
The upcoming weekend brings a couple of wide releases, Alfonso Cuarón’s 3D lost-in-space action drama Gravity and crime drama thriller Runner Runner.
Here are the numbers for the top five over the weekend via BOM:
- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 — Weekend Gross: $34.0 million — Total Gross: $34.0 million (new)
- Prisoners — Weekend Gross: $10.9 million — Total Gross: $35.8 million (#1 last week)
- Rush — Weekend Gross: $10.0 million — Total Gross: $10.3 million (#38 last week)
- Baggage Claim — Weekend Gross: $9.0 million — Total Gross: $9.0 million (new)
- Don Jon — Weekend Gross: $8.7 million — Total Gross: $8.7 million (new)
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