Box Office Report: ‘Elysium’ is #1

This past weekend, the science-fiction thriller Elysium starring Matt Damon topped the box office, earning $30.5 million. This is the best film debut for Damon since leaving the Bourne franchise. However, the Neill Blomkamp-directed film’s opening was less than his last film, District 9, which made $37.5 million its opening weekend in 2009.

The R-rated comedy We’re the Millers starring Jennifer Aniston and Jason Sudeikis came in second place for the weekend. It earned $26.6 million for the weekend, and has earned a total of $38 million since it opened on Wednesday.  Aniston has had five films earn over $100 million in her career, and if We’re the Millers continues to do well, she may have a sixth $100 million hit movie.

Disney’s Planes came in third with a modest opening of $22.5 million. The film was originally intended to be a direct-to-DVD release and had a low budget of $50 million. According to Disney, Planes received 22% of its gross from 3D ticket sales, making it the fourth record low this summer.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, sequel to Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, received $14.6 million for the weekend and a total of $23.5 million since it debuted Wednesday. Analysts were shocked when Fox decided to make the sequel, considering the first movie made $88.4 million domestically and $137 million internationally with a $105 million budget.

2 Guns, starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, rounded out the top 5. It dropped 59% its second weekend to $11.1 million. The film has made a total of $48.5 million so far.

Take a look at the top 10 of the box office for this past weekend:

1. “Elysium,” $30.5 million

2. “We’re the Millers,” $26.6 million.

3. “Planes,” $22.5 million.

4. “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” $14.6 million

5. “2 Guns,” $11.1 million.

6. “Smurfs 2,” $9.5 million

7. “The Wolverine,” $8 million

8. “The Conjuring,” $6.7 million

9. “Despicable Me 2,” $5.7 million

10. “Grown Ups 2,” $3.7 million