With the concerns about final cuts, Christian criticism and a raft of mixed reviews now behind it, Darren Aronofsky’s ambitious take on Noah survived the storms to float into first place at the US box office. And that’s the last watery pun we’ll make on the matter for now, promise. The Russell Crowe film managed $44 million this weekend, overcoming relatively mild competition. Will this lead to more Biblical movies beyond the ones already on their way from Ridley Scott and co.? Studios will be watching how Noah does from now on to judge that…
Divergent, which launched successfully enough to guarantee a franchise (though Lionsgate was already busy adapting the second book in Veronica Roth’s series, Insurgent), dipped 51% for $26.5 million its second weekend. But that was still enough to push it past its original $85 million budget, and it has plenty of time to keep earning the dollars.
Muppets Most Wanted fell one place to third, taking in $11.3 million for a $33.2 million running total, still behind the 2011 film, despite making just a little more in its second weekend. Fourth was DreamWorks’** Mr. Peabody & Sherman** with $9.5 million, while God’s Not Dead fell from fourth to fifth with $9 million.
In sixth we find Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, jumping up a place thanks to another screen expansion and still roaring along as one of his most successful releases. It was enough to beat Arnold Schwarzenegger’s latest, Sabotage, with the David Ayer film crashing rather badly despite opening in 2,486 screens. The story of an elite DEA unit that makes off with ill-gotten drug lord gains made $5.3 million, meaning the cast will have to go and find some dodgy cash of their own if they want the movie to be a success.
**Need For Speed **was eighth, taking in $4.3 million but still getting nowhere near its $66 million budget, while 300: Rise Of An Empire fell to ninth with $4.3 million and Non-Stop landed at 10th with $4 million.
To check out the full chart listings two by two, head to Box Office Mojo.