As expected, Divergent took the number one spot at the US box office this weekend and earned an estimated $56 million. There was some worry that the hyped young adult novel adaptation wouldn't be able to draw a crowd, but its off to a good start. Divergent had an estimated production budget of $85 million, so it should have no problem making that back in the next week. For fans of the movie, a sequel is guaranteed at this point.
Muppets Most Wanted placed second with $16.5, which is a little disappointing compared to the $29.3 million start for The Muppets back in 2011. Still, the movie carries a modest (for a studio pic) $50 million budget, so it shouldn't have a problem getting out of the red.
Interesting items to note include 300: Rise of an Empire nearing the $100 million mark in the us, while The LEGO Movie is closing in on $250 million. We're still without horror releases for the next couple of weeks, but The Quiet Ones and Oculus are coming up in April. Next week's big releases include Noah and Sabotage. Here's a look at this weekend's top ten:
1. Divergent - $56,000,000
2. Muppets Most Wanted - $16,514,000
3. Mr. Peabody & Sherman - $11,700,000
4. 300: Rise of an Empire - $8,665,000
5. God’s Not Dead - $8,564,000
6. Need for Speed - $7,781,000
7. The Grand Budapest Hotel - $6,750,000
8. Non-Stop - $6,346,000
9. The LEGO Movie - $4,115,000
10. Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club - $3,100,000