Director Baltasar Kormakur’s action flick 2 Guns blasted its way to the top of the box office.
However, the flick didn’t come out with both barrels blazing. Although it managed to trump its competition this weekend, the movie wasn’t the biggest hit for Universal. The three-day haul is presently estimated at a ho-hum $27.4 million.
Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg star as a pair of undercover agents who find themselves on the run after an operation goes bad. The actors are pretty big box office draws on their own, but the two of them together didn’t exactly set things on fire.
Thankfully, it didn’t take a lot of money to put 2 Guns together. According to reports, the film only cost the studio approximately $61 million before marketing costs. Chances are that money will be recouped before it works its way onto home video.
Unfortunately for Sony and Columbia Pictures, The Smurfs 2 couldn’t find an audience this weekend. The movie failed to generate the same amount of box office business as its predecessor. The adaptation of the 80s cartoon only pulled in around $18.2 million in three days.
However, it would appear that the sequel is doing much better business overseas. The film’s foreign total is presently perched at a healthy $50 million. With a worldwide total of $80 million, the studio is likely to find itself with a hit once the picture has completed its trek around the globe.
The Smurfs 2’s lackluster performance allowed Hugh Jackman’s The Wolverine to slide into second place with $21.7 million in ticket sales. Thanks to strong word of mouth and an overall lack of new releases this weekend, the film continued to lure moviegoers into darkened theaters.
Here’s this weekend’s top 10 and the estimated totals.
1. 2 Guns – $27.3 million 2. The Wolverine – $21.7 million 3. The Smurfs 2 $18.2 million 4. The Conjuring – $13.6 million 5. Despicable Me 2 – $10.3 million 6. Grown Ups 2 – $8.1 million 7. Turbo – $6.4 million 8. Red 2 – $5.6 million 9. The Heat – $4.7 million 10. Pacific Rim – $4.5 million
Are you surprised that 2 Guns beat The Smurfs 2 at the box office this weekend?
[Image via Universal Pictures]
