Thursday, June 26, 2014

The Projector: Prime Time Edition UPDATE

Monday UPDATED UPDATE: Well that took long enough. 2014 officially has its first $100M opening as Transformers 4 crept past the century mark with today's actuals, the Autobots – and Dinobots – set to slay their competition yet again this coming 4th of July weekend.

 1. Transformers: Age of Extinction $100M
2. 22 Jump Street $15.8M
3. How to Train Your Dragon 2 $13.2M
4. Think Like a Man Too $10.3M
5. Maleficent $8.4M


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 Sunday UPDATE: Gargantuan here, gargantuan there. Serving up the biggest debut of 2014 stateside, Transformers 4 annihilated all in its path, banking a mind-boggling $300M worldwide after just one weekend. And you question why they keep cranking them out. Optimus Prime's domination of the box office will roll on through the 4th of July thanks to a weak slate of newbies – Tammy, Earth to Echo and Deliver Us From Evil – which have zero shot at unseating the Autobots.

1. Transformers: Age of Extinction $100M
2. 22 Jump Street $15.4M
3. How to Train Your Dragon 2 $13.1M
4. Think Like a Man Too $10.4M
5. Maleficent $8.2M
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Optimal timing Mr. Prime. In a summer that was foolishly front-loaded by the studios, we have yet to see a film push past the $100M mark in its debut frame — until now. Taking full advantage of the lull of supersized action flicks at the multiplex dating back to last month's X-Men: Days of Future Past, Transformers: Age of Extinction is about to go bonkers this weekend. Michael Bay's fourth installment of the Autobots and Decepticons neverending war – actually the Decepticons aren't the foe in this one if you can fathom that – should cross the century mark with relative ease if the audience in my 17-hour screening is any indication — they ate it up. With Bay ticking all the sensory-overload boxes and Mark Wahlberg providing some legit star power, Optimus Prime and his mega-toothed Dinobot ride are on the verge of global domination.
  1. Transformers: Age of Extinction $105M (↑) - Wouldn't be shocked to see a Man of Steel-type opening though taking the slightly under.
  2. How to Train Your Dragon 2 $15M - Criminally underperforming, most-entertaining summer movie thus far.
  3. 22 Jump Street $14.5M - Closing in on Neighbors title of #1 comedy of 2014.
  4. Think Like a Man Too $12.5M - Fell precipitously Friday to Sunday last weekend, expect prodigious tumble in second frame.
  5. Jersey Boys $8.75M - Holds well thanks to slow-moving geriatric set.
Follow @FinalCutonFilm for updates throughout the weekend.
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