‘Chappie’ Takes the Lead at the Box Office Race
Neill Blomkamp's latest sci-fi, Chappie, despite very mixed reviews, landed in first place at this weekend's box office race with $13.3 million, still a disappointment when compared with his previous movies - 2013's Elysium with $29.8 million and 2009's District 9 with $37.2 million.
Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, sometime in the near future, when crime is patrolled by an oppressive mechanized police force, the film revolves around a particular police robot named Chappie, voiced by Sharlto Copley, who gets stolen and given new programming that allows him to think and feel for himself. It also stars Dev Patel, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Sigourney Weaver, Hugh Jackman along with Watkin Tudor Jones and Yolandi Visser og the hip-hop group Die Antwoord.
At second place is the Will Smith and Margot Robbie head-billed Focus, a holdover from last week, which took in $10 million in its second weekend for a domestic total of $34.6 million.
Despite playing in far fewer theaters than the other films, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the sequel to the surprise 2012 box office hit British comedy drama movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, once more directed by John Madden, took in a solid $8.6 million from 1,573 locations, putting it at third place. Most of the original castalso returns in the sequel with lead stars Judi Dench as Evelyn Greenslade, Bill Nighy as Douglas Ainslie, Penelope Wilton as Jean Ainslie, Maggie Smith as Muriel Donnelly, Celia Imrie as Madge Hardcastle, Ronald Pickup as Norman Cousins, Diana Hardcastle as Carol, Tena Desae as Sunaina, Lillete Dubey as Mrs. Kapoor, and of course, Dev Patel as Sonny Kapoor. Richard Gere joins the group of pensioners and retirees as the American Guy Chambers. Tamsin Greig plays Lavinia, another potential new tenant.
Kingsman: The Secret Service followed at No. 4 in its fourth weekend with $8.3 million while The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water rounded out the top five with an estimated $6.7 million. Fifty Shades Of Grey dropped to sixth place with $5.6 million, McFarland, USA came at seventh with $5.3 million, The Lazarus Effect went down to eighth with $5.1 million and The DUFF was ninth with $4.8 million. At tenth place is Vince Vaughn's Unfinished Business with $4.8 million.