The rebooted “Ghostbusters” is launching with a respectable $46.5 million opening weekend at 3,963 locations, trailing “The Secret Life of Pets” for the top spot at the U.S. box office, Saturday estimates showed.
Illumination-Universal’s hit “The Secret Life of Pets” should win the weekend with $50 million at 4,381 sites, declining only 52% from its opening. The animated comedy’s 10-day total will hit $202 million by the end of Sunday.
Sony-Village Roadshow’s “Ghostbusters,” starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones, is on its way to posting the best debut weekend for a live-action comedy since “Pitch Perfect 2” opened with $69 million last year. Sony’s recent estimates had been in the $38 million to $40 million range while rivals had forecasted correctly that it would take in between $45 million and $50 million.
“Ghostbusters” topped “Pets” on its opening day on Friday with $17.2 million, while “Pets” took in $15 million on its eighth day. “Pets” should more than make up the difference on Saturday and Sunday.
“Ghostbusters,” directed by Paul Feig, received a decent B+ Cinemascore from its audience with under 25 moviegoers giving the film an A-. Sony noted that it represented the biggest live-action opening since Fox’s “X-Men: Apocalypse” two months ago and the second-highest live-action non-superhero film of the year behind Disney’s “The Jungle Book.”
As with the original, “Ghostbusters” is set in Manhattan being beset by an invasion of ghosts. Ivan Reitman, who directed the original film, produced with Amy Pascal.
“The Secret Life of Pets” blew away forecasts last weekend with a $104.4 million U.S. opening, breaking the record by “Inside Out” for best launch of an original animated title. “Pets” is already the seventh-highest domestic grosser of the year and will likely wind up at over $300 million by the end of its run.
