An animated movie from Dreamworks, “Home,” opened in the number one spot this weekend and proved that a PG-rated family movie can out-muscle the slew of recent raunchy comedies, an industry analyst said today.
“‘Home’ was perfectly positioned, and perfectly marketed, to take advantage of the lack of family fare in the first quarter marketplace,” said Rentrak movie industry tracker Paul Dergarabedian.
It opened with $54 million in domestic receipts, which is above industry expectations, he said.
But those seeking raunch were not left in the lurch, as an R-rated Will Ferrell movie with a not-very-subtle title opened in second place. “Get Hard” was in second place with $34.6 million for Warner Bros., according to studio estimates for the North America market.
Last week’s pacesetter, “The Divergent Series: The Insurgent,” dropped to with an estimated $22.1 million this weekend, and $90 million running total.
The live action Disney “Cinderella” redux crossed the $150 million line, and was in fourth place with $17.5 million this weekend.
The surprise of the week, Dergarabedian said, was “It Follows.” That spooky flick was in fifth place at $4 million.
Rounding out the next five-favorite films at the North American box office, as estimated by the studios and gathered by Rentrak, were “Kingsman: The Secret Service” ($3 million), “Run All Night” ($2.2 million), “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” ($2.2 million), “Do You Believe?” ($2.2 million) and “The Gunman” ($2 million).
