As expected, The Equalizer took the top spot at the box-office over the past weekend. The gritty R-rated thriller was helmed by Antoine Fuqua and starred Denzel Washington as the title character. After last month’s flop, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, many were skeptical at the viability of R-rated films. However, mostly due to the drawing power of Washington, audiences flocked to the grounded remake of the 1980’s TV show of the same name. The Maze Runner narrowly took the second spot with a healthy $17.5 million dollar weekend. The stop-motion animated movie, The Boxtrolls, debuted in third with $17.2 million. The ensemble drama-comedy, This Is Where I Leave You, stuck around to hold on to the fourth spot, pulling $7 million in it’s second week of release. The fifth position was occupied by Dolphin Tale 2 with $4.8 million dollars, rounding out the top 5 at the box-office for the weekend. Here is the complete breakdown for 9/26-9/28:
| RANK | MOVIE | WEEKLY GROSS | GROSS TO DATE | WEEKS IN RELEASE | # OF THEATERS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Equalizer
Sony Pictures |
$35.0M | $35.0M | 1 | 3236 |
| 2 |
The Maze Runner
20th Century Fox |
$17.5M | $58.0M | 2 | 3638 |
| 3 |
The Boxtrolls
Focus Features |
$17.2M | $17.2M | 1 | 3464 |
| 4 |
This Is Where I Leave You
Warner Bros. Pictures |
$7.0M | $22.6M | 2 | 2868 |
| 5 |
Dolphin Tale 2
Warner Bros. Pictures |
$4.8M | $33.7M | 3 | 3376 |
| 6 |
No Good Deed
Sony/Screen Gems |
$4.6M | $46.6M | 3 | 2130 |
| 7 |
A Walk Among the Tombstones
Universal Studios |
$4.2M | $20.9M | 2 | 2714 |
| 8 |
Guardians of the Galaxy
Walt Disney Pictures |
$3.8M | $319.2M | 9 | 2451 |
| 9 |
Let’s Be Cops
20th Century Fox |
$1.5M | $79.6M | 7 | 1534 |
| 10 |
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Paramount Pictures |
$1.4M | $187.2M | 8 | 1585 |
It is no secret that The Equalizer is a product of the genre that Death Wish popularized in the 1970’s. In fact, that film had Denzel in one of his earliest film appearances. It explains why he would be interested in the role of Robert McCall years later, because now he is the head vigilante in charge. Awesome when things come full circle!
What did you check out over the weekend? Let us know on the comment boards, and !
Source: Washington Post