Weekend box office: Spongebob takes out American Sniper

Brad Sturdivant February 8th, 2015

With all due respect to PADDINGTON, it’s a shame on Hollywood to go so long without releasing a new kids movie in theaters. There should always be at least one animated kids movie and one horror movie in theaters at all times because on any given weekend, even a bad animated movie or a bad horror movie can bring in an audience. Perhaps seeing the vacancy, THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER seized the day and managed to take in over $50 million at the weekend box office, easily beating out the number two movie, AMERICAN SNIPER. Spongebob was helped by a severe lack of competition, but you’ll have to chalk him up to another thing I don’t understand about little kids. I just don’t get the fascination with him. The other new movies of the weekend didn’t fare quite as well. The delayed JUPITER ASCENDING almost cracked $20 million, but I’m sure the studio was hoping for more when they were signing those checks to get it made. SEVENTH SON couldn’t even crack $10 million, perhaps signaling that people are sick of YA adaptations.

Next week should belong to FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, which makes its long awaited debut in theaters to the delight of soccer moms everywhere. It will be interesting to see how well it does. It’s one thing to read the book during your “alone time”, but it’s another thing to sit in a theater with a bunch of uncomfortable boyfriends and husbands looking at you. We also get KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, which I would have ignored, but the trailer made it look fun and it has gotten some good early reviews, so it might be a fun movie. Note: the numbers below will be updated as they become final.

1. The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water $53.1m

2. American Sniper $22.5m

3. Jupiter Ascending $18.4m

4. Seventh Son $6.7m

5. Paddington $5.3m

6. Project Almanac $5.3m

7. Imitation Game $4.65m

8. Black or White $4.6m

9. The Wedding Ringer $4.5m

10. The Boy Next Door $3.9m

(Deadline)