The original CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS was one of the surprise hits of 2009 and since it’s a successful animated movie, it absolutely had to get a sequel. And since CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 is on track to make about $5 million more than the original on it’s opening weekend, you can go ahead and pencil in a third movie some time in the near future. The animated sequel will easily take the top spot at the weekend box office, beating out last week’s #1 film, PRISONERS. But that wasn’t the only new film of the weekend. Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s much praised directorial debut, DON JON looks like it will finish in fifth place, flirting with about $10 million. That’s about a million dollars behind Ron Howard’s RUSH (click the link to read our review), which has also received some nice praise from critics. All in all, the quality films this weekend did moderately well, even if none of them exceeded expectations.
Next week sees the release of GRAVITY, which might be the movie event of the year. If the film turns out to be half as good as the hype (note: it’s better), then it should do very well at the weekend box office. But it’s probably a film that will stay in the top ten for a while through word of mouth and won’t end up with a crazy opening number, even with the 3D and IMAX bonus. We also have the Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake starring RUNNER RUNNER, which feels like a favor Ben Affleck owed someone. Note: the numbers below will be updated as they become final.
1. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 $35m
2. Prisoners $11.2m
3. Rush $10.3m
4. Baggage Claim $9.3m
5. Don Jon $9.0m
6. Insidious Chapter 2 $6.7m
7. The Family $3.7m
8. Instructions Not Included $3.3m
9. We’re The Millers $2.8m
10. Lee Daniel’s The Butler $2.4m
(Deadline)
