After winning at thebox officewith $65.3 million over the three-day weekend and $80 million over the four-day holiday, 20th Century Fox’sX-Men: Apocalypsewasn’t expected to win two weeks in a row. Three newcomers hit theaters this summer weekend, with Paramount’sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, Warner Bros.‘Me Before Youand Universal’sPopstar: Never Stop Never Stoppingarriving in wide release. As expected,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadowscame out on top, but it was still much lower than projected, winning with an estimated $35.2 million.
Box Office Mojoreports thatTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadowshad the widest debut this weekend, opening in 4,071 theaters, although that count still came in under the 4,153 theater roll-out ofX-Men: Apocalypse, which dropped to second place with $22.3 million, a 66.1% drop from its debut.Me Before Youtook third place with $18.5 million, opening in 2,704 theaters, whilePopstarflopped with an eighth place finish at $4.6 million, debuting in approximately 2,311 theaters.Popstarwas the only new release that was a hit with critics, earning a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, withMe Before Youearning a 55% rating on Rotten Tomatoes andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadowsearning a measly 37% rating.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows’ $35.2 million take represents about half of the opening weekend numbers of 2014’sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which opened with $65.5 million two summers ago.
After super villainShredderescapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen,Bebop and Rocksteady, to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: The notorious Krang. OriginalTeenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesstarsAlan Ritchson(Raphael),Noel Fisher(Michelangelo),Pete Ploszek(Leonardo) andJeremy Howard(Donatello) all return to reprise their roles as the Turtles, along withMegan Fox(April O’Neill) andWill Arnett(Vern Fenwick).Tyler Perryhas come aboard to play Baxter Stockman, alongsideStephen Amellas Casey Jones,Brian Teeas Shredder andBrittany Ishibashias Karai.Laura Linneyalso joins the cast as a law enforcement officer.
Me Before Youfollows Louisa “Lou” Clark (Emilia Clarke), who lives in a quaint town in the English countryside. With no clear direction in her life, the quirky and creative 26-year-old goes from one job to the next in order to help her tight-knit family make ends meet. Her normally cheery outlook is put to the test, however, when she faces her newest career challenge. Taking a job at the local “castle,” she becomes caregiver and companion to Will Traynor (Sam Claflin), a wealthy young banker who became wheelchair bound in an accident two years prior, and whose whole world changed dramatically in the blink of an eye. No longer the adventurous soul he once was, the now cynical Will has all but given up. That is until Lou determines to show him that life is worth living. Embarking together on a series of adventures, both Lou and Will get more than they bargained for, and find their lives-and hearts-changing in ways neither one could have imagined.
Alice Through the Looking Glassdropped to drop to fourth place with $10.6 million, withThe Angry Birds Movierounding out the top 5 with $9.7 million. Universal Pictures’Popstar: Never Stop Never Stoppingis headlined by musical digital-shorts superstarsAndy Samberg,Akiva SchafferandJorma Taccone, collectively known asThe Lonely Island. The comedy goes behind the scenes as singer/rapper Conner4Real (Andy Samberg) faces a crisis of popularity after his sophomore album flops, leaving his fans, sycophants and rivals all wondering what to do when he’s no longer the dopest star of all.
The latest comedy from blockbuster producerJudd Apatow(Trainwreck,Superbad) co-starsSarah Silverman,Tim MeadowsandMaya Rudolphand many of the biggest names in comedy and music in cameo performances. Co-directed byAkiva SchafferandJorma Tacconeand written byThe Lonely Islandtrio,Popstaris also produced byRodney Rothman(producer ofGet Him to the Greek,Forgetting Sarah Marshall; co-writer of22 Jump Street), as well asAndy Samberg,Akiva SchafferandJorma Taccone.
The top 10 is rounded out byCaptain America: Civil War($7.5 million),Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising($4.7 million),Popstar($4.6 million),The Jungle Book($4.2 million) andThe Nice Guys($3.5 million). Also opening this week in limited release is FilmRise’s documentaryThe Witness, which earned $15,000 from just one theater. No box office data was given for Independent’s sci-fi thrillerApproaching The Unknown, United Entertainment Partners' dramaThe Final Master, Oscilloscope Pictures' dramaThe Fits, Abramorama’s documentaryTime to Choose. It isn’t known quite yet if any of these limited release movies will expand in the weeks to come.
Looking ahead to next weekend, three new movies will debut in wide release, two of which are sequels. Universal will debut their long-awaited video game adaptationWarcraft, which will go up against Warner Bros.' horror sequelThe Conjuring 2and Lionsgate’sNow You See Me 2. It will be interesting to see howTMNT 2holds on. Be sure to check back on Tuesday for the latest round of predictions. Until then, check out the top 10 for the weekend of June 3.
