Universal's 'Ride Along' Tops Box Office on Super Bowl Weekend
Bloomberg News
'Ride Along,' the buddy comedy with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube, led the U.S. and Canadian box office for a third weekend, collecting $12.3 million in sales for Universal Pictures on the traditionally slow Super Bowl weekend.
'That Awkward Moment,' a romantic comedy from Universal's Focus Features, took in $9 million to place third in its debut, said today in an e-mailed statement. Walt Disney Co.'s animated 'Frozen' generated $9.3 million as the studio added a sing-along version in three-quarters of the theaters.
Studios relied on counter-programming on a weekend when many Americans are focused on the National Football League's annual championship game. 'Ride Along' withstood the challenge from 'Awkward Moment,' meant to appeal to couples before the game, and Disney's extra marketing push to bring families back to theaters for 'Frozen,' in its 11th week.
In 'Ride Along,' Hart's character is a security guard who agrees to join his girlfriend's brother, an Atlanta cop played by Ice Cube, on a 24-hour patrol to prove he's worthy of marrying his sister and joining the force.
The film, made for $25 million according to researcher Box Office Mojo, has generated $93 million domestically after three weeks. With military drama 'Lone Survivor,' starring Mark Wahlberg, and now 'Awkward Moment,' it has helped lift 's Universal to No. 1 in domestic sales so far in 2014.
Universal had domestic sales of $198.3 million as of Jan. 30, a 26 percent increase from a year earlier, according to Box Office Mojo.
Remain Single
'That Awkward Moment' stars Zac Efron, Miles Teller and Michael B. Jordan as three friends in Manhattan. When the wife of one leaves him, the three pledge to remain single.
The movie was projected to take in $15 million for Focus Features, according to BoxOffice.com. It was made for $8 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
'Super Bowl weekend has shown it's a very good weekend to program a date-night movie,' said Phil Contrino, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. 'These films appeal to couples on Friday and Saturday and then people stay home to watch the game.'
The week of last year's Super Bowl, 'Warm Bodies,' the romantic comedy pairing a zombie and a human, took first place with $20.4 million in its debut. In 2010, 'Dear John,' starring Channing Tatum, collected $30.5 million to displace 'Avatar' in the top spot.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ben Livesey in San Francisco at blivesey@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net
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