“Transformers: Age of Extinction” is far from extinct in its second weekend, bringing some heat to a less-than-explosive Fourth of July box office.The sequel grossed $10.6 million Stateside on Friday, dominating Melissa McCarthy’s “Tammy,” which earned $6.4 million.
The fourth installment of Paramount’s ever-growing franchise is the only release so far this summer to come in no. 1 in the box office for two weeks straight. The lack of a reigning summer champ is partly to blame for the nearly 15% drop in earnings from last summer.
The traditionally busy holiday weekend was also less explosive than last year’s Independence Day, which brought in $230 million thanks to the $143 million launch of “Despicable Me 2.” “The Lone Ranger” flopped with $48 million. However, last year’s movies benefited from the Fourth falling on a Thursday, meaning audiences were free to go to the movies on Friday.
Last weekend, “Transformers” became the first film of the year to hit $100 million. It also had the biggest opening day of 2014 with $41.6 million on Friday. The pic will likely reel in $179 million by Sunday, making it 2014’s seventh-highest grosser Stateside in just 10 days.
New Line-Warner Bros.’s “Tammy,” which McCarthy co-wrote with her husband Ben Falcone (this marks his feature directorial debut), opened to $6.2 million on Wednesday. It’s on track to make $22 million this weekend for a $34 million five-day total.
The raunchy road comedy, which cost a modest $20 million to make, earned poor reviews (27% on Rotten Tomatoes) so it’s riding on McCarthy’s star power alone following her last slew of hits: “Identity Thief” and “The Heat.” This is the worst opening of her last four movies. “Tammy’s” five-day gross looks to match the opening three-day weekend of “Identity Thief,” which made $34.6 million on its way to a $134.506 domestic haul ($174 million worldwide) and come in under “The Heat’s” $39 million launch. It made $160 million domestic and $230 worldwide.
However, the aforementioned two co-starred Jason Bateman and Sandra Bullock, respectively. McCarthy is shouldering “Tammy” almost all by herself.
This weekend’s other new releases did little to break up the showdown between “Transformers” and “Tammy.”
Alternative programming “Earth to Echo” rounded out the top five with $2.6 million on Friday. Relativity’s family fare about a lovable alien robot is headed for $10 million this weekend for a five-day estimate of $14 to $16 million. The pic, which Relativity picked up from Disney in 2013, cost $13 million to produce. It marks Dave Green’s directorial debut.
Meanwhile, “Deliver Us From Evil” scared up an estimated $2.5 million on Friday for a sixth place finish. The Screen Gems horror movie about a detective who teams up with a priest to investigate paranormal activity will likely earn $8.5 to $9 million by Sunday and a $14 to $14.5 five-day cume.
For the first time since its release “How to Train Your Dragon 2” edged out “22 Jump Street” in its fourth frame for a podium finish. It made $2.8 on Friday and stands to gross $10.2 million by Sunday, which would mark a 23% drop and raise its cume to $141.5 million.
“22 Jump Street” came in fourth with $2.5 million. It’s headed for a $9.5 to $9.8 million weekend (a 37% decline), which would raise its haul to $159 million.