The weekend box office was won by Matt Damon’s superspy franchise Jason Bourne.
The latest installment, returning on the big screens after nine years, took in $60 million from 4,026 theaters. Bourne ranks as the second-biggest opening in the franchise, following The Bourne Ultimatum’s $69.3 million.
“It proves that this is a franchise that’s still viable and that it can continue if they want to keep making them,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at ComScore. “‘Jason Bourne’ is the perfect title for this film, because that’s who everyone wanted to see return.”
Dergarabedian added, “This also puts the Bourne movies with Damon over the billion-dollar mark worldwide.”
Moviegoers – made up of 55 percent males and 60 percent over the age of 35 – were more favorable of the film than critics, giving it an A-minus CinemaScore, while critics handed it a meager 56 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The latest film from the franchise, with Paul Greengrass back on board to direct, is about the former CIA operative who is drawn out of hiding to uncover hidden truths about his past. Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, Vincent Cassel, Julia Stiles and Riz Ahmed also star.
The weekend’s other new wide releases included Bad Moms and Nerve – both of which were overtaken by last weekend’s Star Trek Beyond.
Director Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond took in $24 million from 3,928 theaters to finish in second place on the charts.
“It surprised me that Star Trek didn’t hold on better,” says Bock. “That was a bit of a shock, and the reviews were pretty good. So there’s something off about the course of Star Trek and they’re going to have to fix it.”
Bad Moms followed in third place with $23.4 million from 3,215 theaters. The R-rated comedy, led by Mila Kunis, follows a trio of overworked and under-appreciated moms who ditch their responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom and comedic self-indulgence.
The film received an A CinemaScore from moviegoers – who were 80 percent female – and a 63 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics.
“The results are fantastic. And it’s the first since in seven years since The Hangover that an R-rated comedy received an A CinemaScore,” said Kevin Grayson, head of distribution for STX. “Our midweek numbers and holdover weekends are going to be very strong. That’s why we chose the date we did. It’s a big win for us, especially considering the price of the film.”
Rounding out the fourth and fifth place are holdovers Secret Life of Pets and Lights Out, with $18.2 million and $10.8 million, respectively.
Meanwhile, the final weekend newcomer was Lionsgate’s thriller Nerve, which landed in eighth place with $9 million – failing to make it in the top five. The film, starring Dave Franco and Emma Roberts, follows the duo as they get sucked into a dangerous modern game of truth or dare. The film received an A-minus CinemaScore and a 56 percent “fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes.
“We felt the best approach was to let the movie do the heavy lifting and let word of mouth carry it,” said David Spitz, co-president of domestic theatrical distribution at Lionsgate. “If you read all the comments whether it’s on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter, the response is amazing. The audience loves the film.”
Top 10 Films at Weekend Box Office: July 29-31
- Jason Bourne — $60 million
- Star Trek Beyond — $24 million
- Bad Moms — $23.4 million
- The Secret Life Of Pets — $18.2 million
- Lights Out — $10.8 million
- Ice Age: Collision Course — $10.5 million
- Ghostbusters — $9.8 million
- Nerve — $9 million
- Finding Dory — $4.2 million
- The Legend of Tarzan — $2.41 million
