'Rampage' takes No. 1 spot from 'A Quiet Place'
LOS ANGELES — After a wobbly start, Dwayne Johnson muscled his way to a No. 1 opening for “Rampage” — but just barely. Close on its heels was the word-of-mouth sensation “A Quiet Place” in its second week, and not too far behind that was the Blumhouse horror “Truth or Dare” in a competitive weekend at the box office.
Warner Bros. said that “Rampage” earned an estimated $34.5 million in its first weekend in North American theaters, and dominated internationally too with $114.1 million.
Based on the classic arcade game, “Rampage” carried a sizable budget of at least $115 million. Although “Rampage” pulled in mixed reviews (it’s at 50 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences were more enthusiastic, giving it an A- CinemaScore.
After its stunning debut, John Krasinski’s modestly-budgeted “A Quiet Place” fell only 35 percent in weekend two, adding $32.6 million to its domestic total, which is now just shy of $100 million for Paramount Pictures.
“Truth or Dare” also found a sizable audience that was mostly young (60 percent under age 25) and female (60 percent). The PG-13 rated picture stars “Pretty Little Liars” alum Lucy Hale. With a budget of just $3.5 million, the film took in a terrific $19.1 million over the weekend — just the latest in a string of successes for the Blumhouse and Universal Pictures partnership.
It’s another down weekend for the industry, too. The same weekend last year saw the massive $98.8 million opening for “The Fate of the Furious.” ComScore reports that the year to date box office is down just over 2 percent. But the tide could be turning soon.
“We’re just in this lull waiting for ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ that is going to blow the doors off of the box office in a little less than two weeks,” industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian said. Estimated sales Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters:
1. “Rampage,” $34.5 million
2. “A Quiet Place,” $32.6 million
3. “Truth or Dare,” $19.1 million
4. “Ready Player One,” $11.2 million
5. “Blockers,” $10.3 million
6. “Black Panther,” $5.3 million
7. “Isle of Dogs,” $5 million
8. “I Can Only Imagine,” $3.8 million
9. “Tyler Perry’s Acrimony,” $3.7 million
10. “Chappaquiddick,” $3 million.