Update: By more than doubling the haul of its closest competitor, “Bad Grandpa” dominated in its box office debut.
The film earned $12.6 million Friday, besting early estimates and easily topping the $6.2 million gross for “Gravity.” The gap between the two will close as the weekend continues, but “Grandpa” will not forfeit the crown.
“Captain Phillips” claimed third place with $3.3 million, while flop newcomer “The Counselor” was only good for $3.2 million. “Carrie” landed in fifth with $2.0 million.
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Complete Friday data will not be available until later Saturday morning, but enough is available to confirm that “Jackass: Bad Grandpa” got off to a dominant box office start.
According to Deadline, the prank-based comedy opened to the tune of $11.5-12.4 million Friday (with $1.4 million in Thursday grosses included). Enough to lead Friday grosses by a comfortable margin, the strong debut also puts “Grandpa” on pace to win the weekend even as holdovers like “Gravity” (roughly $6 million Friday) close the gap on Saturday.
At press time, “Bad Grandpa” looked like a safe bet for $25-30 million in opening weekend receipts. “Gravity” should earn $20 million, while similarly well reviewed holdover “Captain Phillips” was poised for $11-12 million.
While “Jackass: Bad Grandpa” is relying on a disguised Johnny Knoxville to move tickets like hotcakes, “The Counselor” is failing to leverage its high-profile cast for success. Deadline says the poorly reviewed film, which stars Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz, earned just over $3 million Friday. Its opening weekend title will likely fall short of $10 million.