Will Smith needed a hit, but this probably isn’t how he envisioned getting one. Warner Bros.’ Focus, which also stars Margot Robbie, wound up winning the box office by default. Some film had to win this weekend, and Focus was it.
The crime caper movie only grossed $19.1 million, according to early estimates at Rentrak. The film, which earned mixed reviews, was screened at 3,323 locations and even had showings in IMAX.
Focus reportedly cost around $50 million to make, so the studio should at least be able to make that back. But the irony is that, despite winning the weekend, it actually started off with less money than Smith’s recent notorious flop, After Earth. The Sony sci-fi movie opened to $27.5 million in 2013. That movie was much more expensive, though, costing $130 million.
Smith did get to flex some of his international fame muscles already. Focus made $12.2 million in foreign markets this weekend.
Back home, Kingsman: The Secret Service held on to the No. 2 slot with $11.7 million. Fox’s R-rated comic book movie is already up to a surprising $85.7 million domestically. Worldwide, it is already beyond $210 million.
The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water added $11.2 million, bringing its domestic total to $140.3 million.
Fifty Shades of Grey continues to fall off and took another dive in weekend three. The film only made $10.9 million, less than half of last weekend’s total. Still, thanks to its incredible Valentine’s Day opening, the movie is up to $147.7 million domestically.
Relativity’s small-budget horror movie The Lazarus Effect opened in fifth place with $10.6 million.
Meanwhile, Fox Searchlight’s Birdman came in 12th with $1.9 million during its first weekend after winning the Best Picture Oscar. It is now up to $40.2 million since its release in October. The movie is already available on home video.
image of ‘Focus’ cast courtesy of INFphoto.com