Box-Office Report: Everyone's Joyful as 'Inside Out' and 'Jurassic World' Enjoy Huge Weekends
By Pamela McClintock
Moviegoing once again prospered in North America this weekend, thanks to the one-two punch of Inside Out and Jurassic World, with domestic box office revenue up more than 66 percent over Father’s Day weekend in 2014.
Heading into the weekend, many expected Pixar’s Inside Out to top out at $65 million, considering the T. Rex-like might of Universal’s Jurassic World. But the race was much closer than expected as Inside Out raced to $91 million from 3,946 theaters — the best opening for an original Pixar title and the second best of any Pixar behind Toy Story 3, which launched to $110.3 million and had the benefit of being part of a beloved franchise.
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Still, that wasn’t enough to overtake Jurassic World, which roared to $102 million in its second weekend from 4,291 theaters, declining a narrow 51 percent and almost eclipsing The Avengers ($103 million) to score the top sophomore gross of all time. In its first 10 days, Jurassic World has earned a massive $398 million domestically and nearly $1 billion globally.
Inside Out is the first Pixar title not to place No. 1 in its domestic debut, a winning streak often referenced by Pixar. But Inside Out’s massive opening is sure to help soothe any sore feelings; to boot, animated tentpoles enjoy especially strong legs.
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From directors Pete Docter (Up) and Ronnie Del Carmen, the critically acclaimed Inside Out returns Pixar to the big screen for the first time in two years. The unique coming-of-age tale features the voices of Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling and Phyllis Smith and centers on five emotions — Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger — that try to protect a young girl when she is upset by her family’s move to San Francisco.
In terms of previous Pixar openings, Toy Story 3 ranks No. 1, followed by sequel Monsters University ($82.4 million). Among original titles, The Incredibles was the previous best with $70.4 million, followed by Finding Nemo ($70.3 million) and Up ($68.1 million).
The weekend’s other new entry was Dope, Rick Famuyiwa’s coming-of-age story that made waves at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. The movie opened to a so-so $6 million from 2,002 theaters. Open Road Films opted for a nationwide opening, versus a platform release.
Dope came in No. 5 behind holdovers Spy, which grossed north of $10 million to place No. 3, followed by San Andreas with $8.2 million.
Watch the cast of ‘Inside Out’ discuss getting choked up by the movie below:
