Box Office Weekend: Captain America Doesn’t Surrender and Remains Top Draw

Looking at total domestic box office gross and budget costs, it seems strange that a big-name winner with critics and audiences alike, Captain America: The Winter Soldier (estimated $41.4 million) still has not made back its money on these shores just yet. Still, like much of the top ten, those numbers belie a worldwide take that is stunning, with the latest Marvel franchise entry earning a stunning $476.7 million (and likely more to come). So, too, follows the less critically acclaimed Rio 2, which took in only an estimated $39 million, but has already done quite well for itself overseas with a worldwide take of $163.3 million. One of the few domestic front winners include Oculus; unusually well-received for an early-year horror release, the $5 million budgeted scare-fest took in an estimated $12 million and looks already prepared for a bevy of sequels.

The Kevin Costner led Draft Day may be a mixed bag overall in terms of success, with mild critical praise and an estimated $9.8 million opening weekend (with no reported budget). Divergent (estimated $7.5 million), on the other hand, has an interesting parallel with Noah (estimated $7.5 million) other than just their standings…so far, each has earned at the domestic box office as much as the other cost to make (though in worldwide take, Noah is the winner by a long shot). But in terms of percentages of gross, the real Biblical-based winner is the independent God’s Not Dead; with an estimated $5.5 million for the weekend, the film has made $40.7 million in total and pulled ahead of rival The Grand Budapest Hotel (estimated $4.1 million), which as made $39.5 million so far. Even so, The Grand Budapest Hotel has yet to release budget information; God’s Not Dead has revealed its costs at around $2 million, making it a rousing success on its own merits.

Finally, child friendly fare will likely leave the list soon, as Muppets Most Wanted (estimated $2.2 million) and Mr. Peabody & Sherman (estimated $1.8 million) both fall short of their costs domestically. Still, Mr. Peabody & Sherman will enjoy a worldwide take well above its costs, while Muppets Most Wanted will barely scrape in a profit with its overseas ticket sales, despite being the third most successful movie in the Muppet franchise.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

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."

Latest posts by Seth Paul (see all)

• Box Office Weekend: Eight Figure Box Office for Magnificent Seven - September 26, 2016
• Box Office Weekend: Sully Rides High for Second Week - September 19, 2016
• Box Office Weekend: Sully Lands On Target - September 12, 2016