Box Office: ‘Ride Along 2,’ ‘The Revenant,’ push ‘Star Wars’ from first place

The reign of Star Wars is finally over. The movie is not at the top of box office charts anymore. After ruling for almost four weeks, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” has been dethroned of its coveted position. The movie has been succeeded by “Ride Along 2.” This sequel to the first part was much-awaited, and like its predecessor, it left audience in hysterics. The comedy sequel earned a whopping $34 million across 3,175 venues and $39.5 million over the four-day long Martin Luther King weekend. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” slid to the third spot. The movie made $25.1 million over the three days and roughly $30 million over the four-day period, though the overall collections have been record-breaking and are nothing short of marvel. The latest movie from the Star Wars franchisee earned $851 million state side and $1.86 billion globally.

“Ride Along 2” rides its way to the top

Universal brought back Ice Cube and Kevin Hart for “Ride Along 2.” The movie sees the bickering police officers trying to bring a Miami drug ring to justice. An amount of $40 million was invested to bring both of them back to enthrall and entertain the audience.  Another movie to contribute to the dethroning of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” was Leonardo DiCaprio’s “The Revenant,” widely considered one of the best movies made in past few decades. The collections were also bolstered by the prominence at Oscar nominations. The movie has been nominated for the Best Picture and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio. The story of a fur trapper seeking revenge racked up $29.5 million over the three days.

“The Revenant” has a domestic total that stands at $87.7 million, and it should pull in $34 million over the holiday. The movie was financed by New Regency. Since the movie was highly ambitious, it faced a lot of difficulties while being made. There were production delays, crew defects, and a budget that ballooned from $90 million to $135 million. It overcame all the delays to emerge as an awards season winner.

Oscar nominees rule the box office collections after announcement

Another movie to own the circuit was Paramount’s “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.” The movie was based on the political controversy that surrounded the shootings in Benghazi. Over the holiday weekend, the movie pulled off $16 million in opening three days. The movie was screened at 2,389 locations. Lionsgate’s “Norm of the North” pulled in $6.7 million from 2,411 locations. It is an animated movie about a polar bear that is displaced from his Arctic home, and he makes his way to New York City. The heartwarming story touched a million hearts.

Other Oscar nominee to join the stunner “The Revenant” was Fox Searchlight’s “Brooklyn.” The movie’s earnings rose by 51 percent and brought the total to $25 million from 687 theatres. Another Best Picture nominee, “Room,” also joined the list, as its revenue spiked up over by 500 percent after announcement of the nominations. The movie had $893,357 for the weekend from 293 locations.