This weekend at the American box office it was girls and ghouls vs. boys, as Melissa McCarthy’s new action comedy Spy took on horror pic Insidious: Chapter 3 and bro-tastic Hollywood comedy (Johnny) drama Entourage. Despite a frantic Friday, the overall winner was Spy, which nabbed the top spot with a studio-estimated $30 million.
Added to its estimated overseas take so far, the film has made $86.5 million, which is a healthy opening for both McCarthy and director Paul Feig, although a little less than either The Heat or **Bridesmaids **in terms of US take. It should have a successful run, though, thanks to good reviews and audience response.
Neither of the other two new arrivals could overcome Dwayne Johnson and earthquake adventure San Andreas, though, with The Rock's latest falling just one place to second with $26.4 million for $92.1 million in its Stateside coffers so far. Insidious: Chapter 3 was the better performer of the two, earning $23 million for third place. The prequel, which finds writer/actor Leigh Whannell taking over the director’s chair from James Wan, proves there’s life in the deathly series yet.
Entourage, which transports the TV show to the big screen, seemed to be strong at first but didn’t last well over the weekend, almost in inverse proportion to the series’ usual plotlines of minor difficulties followed by triumph for Vinnie, Drama, E, Turtle, Ari, Voldemort, Dance Belt, Big Giant, Little Giant and Colonel Sanders. But with a relatively slim $30 million production budget, that $10.4 million start should put it on the road to earning some profit.
Rounding out the top five was Mad Max: Fury Road with $7.9 million and a $130.8 million domestic take to date. Sixth place was** Pitch Perfect 2**, which fell from second with $7.7 million. Tomorrowland slipped from third to seventh, earning $7 million, while **Avengers: Age Of Ultron **(which is now the fifth-highest worldwide earner ever) took home $6.2 million in eighth.
Cameron Crowe's** Aloha** slumped from its sixth place launch to ninth, making $3.3 million, while the Poltergeist remake haunted tenth with $2.8 million.
To see Melissa McCarthy sneak past ghosts and dudes in the full chart listings, head to Box Office Mojo.