Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier holds onto to the top spot at the North American box office with $41.4 million; Carlos Saldanha's Rio 2 follows in second place with a $39 million debut.
Carlos Saldanha's Rio 2 couldn't topple Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The 3D animated sequel made $39 million from 3,948 theaters in its North American launch, while Captain America 2's gross totaled $41.4 million.
Globally, Disney and Marvel Studio's Captain America 2 has now earned $476.1 million worldwide -- eclipsing the $370.6 million earned by the first Captain America in its entire run. The movie, grossing north of $80 million in China alone, has also earned more than the first Thor ($449 million).
Overseas, Fox Animation and Blue Sky's Rio 2 narrowly won the weekend race with a $62.3 million from 62 markets, compared to $60.6 million from 54 territories for Captain America 2. Rio 2 began rolling out in select foreign markets late last month, but made its biggest push this weekend. It has now earned $125.2 million internationally for a global total of $164.2 million.
Returning Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway in the voice leads, Rio 2 matched the $39 million debut of the first Rio exactly three years ago. Based on Friday's numbers, Rio 2 was expected to win the North American race with $45 million. However, traffic was only up 28 percent from Friday to Saturday, compared to the usual 60 percent to 70 percent for a family title (Captain America 2, faring better, was up 49 percent).
New supernatural thriller Oculus, from director Mike Flanagan, came in third place at the North American box office with a $12 million debut. Costing under $5 million to make, Oculus is being released by Relativity in association with Jason Blum's Blumhouse, MICA Entertainment and WWE Studios. Relativity and Blumhouse acquired U.S. rights to Oculus at the 2013 Toronto Film Festival for $2.5 million.
Ivan Reitman's football drama Draft Day, starring Kevin Costner, grossed a lower-than-expected $9.8 million from 2,781 locations to come in fourth place. From Summit Entertainment, the movie also stars Jennifer Garner, Denis Leary, Frank Langella, Sam Elliott and Sean Combs. Reitman's company, Montecito Pictures, produced the $25 million film with OddLot Entertainment.
Summit's Divergent rounded out the top five, grossing $7.5 million from 3,110 theaters for a domestic total of $124.9 million. Overseas, the movie took in $23.2 million from 62 markets for a foreign total of $50.3 million and global total of $175.2 million.
Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic Noah came in sixth place, finishing Sunday with $7.4 million for a domestic total of $84.9 million. Overseas, the Paramount and New Regency title made $162 million for a worldwide total of $246.9 million.
Christian film God's Not Dead remained in the top 10 over Palm Sunday weekend, placing seventh with $4.5 million from 1,860 theaters and pushing its total to $40.7 million.
Wes Anderson's hit The Grand Budapest Hotel, now in its sixth week at the box office, took in $4.1 million for an eighth place finish and a total of $39.5 million.
Disney’s Muppets Most Wanted, now in its fourth weekend out, came in ninth place, taking in $2.2 million for a domestic total of $45.7 million.
DreamWorks Animation’s Mr. Peabody & Sherman, now in its sixth week at the box office, brought in $1.8 million, pushing the film’s domestic total to $105.2 million for a tenth place finish.
This weekend, Disney’s Frozen passed Sony’s Bond feature Skyfall to move up to eighth place on the all-time worldwide chart with $1.11 billion. The animated musical has now held first place for five-straight weeks in Japan, which is now its top market with an incredible $89 million.
Box office numbers were obtained on boxofficemojo.com.
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
