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Posted August 3, 2015 by Seth Paul in News
 
 

Box Office Weekend: An Impossible Mission? Not for Cruise


With a strong advertising blitz and J.J. Abrams in a producing chair, it seemed almost certain that Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation would be a top box office draw – and it was, reaching first with an estimated $56 million and garnering all sort of praise. And while it has opened very well compared to the previous Mission: Impossible films (second only to Mission: Impossible II), it has strangely fallen short compared to the summer blockbusters of July, including the opening of Ant-Man (which reached third place this weekend with an estimated $12.6 million), the lowest earning Marvel film since The Incredible Hulk. However, both films are likely to do well considering overseas dollars, which will not be the case Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nationfor Vacation. With Chevy Chase handing the reins to Ed Helms (taking over the role of grown-up Rusty), the latest entry does not appear destined for greatness; even with a second-place finish and a Wednesday opening, it made an estimated weekend total of $14.9 million and mostly critical scorn.

Minions continues to pile on the cash with an estimated $12.2 million, making Pixels (estimated $10.4 million) look small and blocky in comparison; the latest DreamWorks entry is more than triple its budget in domestic earnings alone, while Pixels has not even broken a profit counting worldwide totals. Even Trainwreck, landing in sixth with an estimated $9.7 million, has made good with critics and in cash alike.

Southpaw picked up an estimated $7.5 million and appears to be in an uphill battle to make back its $30 million costs, while Paper Towns is probably thankful for its $12 million budget, as its estimated $4.6 million is bringing it close to breaking even. But flop or success, neither can hold a candle to ninth and tenth place finishers Inside Out and Jurassic World. While Inside Out (estimated $4.5 million) might appear at first glance a flop, unable to make up the difference on its $175 million costs, worldwide totals tell a very different story with $602.3 million in the bank. Jurassic World (estimated $3.8 million), in the meantime, is a success on all counts, now standing solidly as the third highest-earning movie of all-time.

Weekend Box Office (July 29th – August 2nd)

  1. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation…$56 million
  2. Vacation…$14.9 million
  3. Ant-Man…$12.6 million
  4. Minions…$12.2 million
  5. Pixels…$10.4 million
  6. Trainwreck…$9.7 million
  7. Southpaw…$7.5 million
  8. Paper Towns…$4.6 million
  9. Inside Out…$4.5 million
  10. Jurassic World…$3.8 million
Seth Paul

Seth Paul

When not failing to write novels and screenplays, box-office guru Seth writes humorous comedy tracks for films under the name "The One Man Band" that can be found at Rifftrax.com. Although, he has recently succeeded in writing the novella "Jack Alan and the Case of the Not-Exactly Rocket Scientists," available as an eBook on Amazon. He is also the English voice of Zak in "Zak McKracken: Between Time and Space."