Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, the comedy from Paramount Pictures, took first place at U.S. and Canadian theaters last week, toppling Gravity, the sci-fi movie that led sales for three weeks.
Bad Grandpa collected $32 million in its opening, researcher Rentrak Corp. said Sunday. The Counselor, a violent, action thriller, opened fourth with $7.8 million for 20th Century Fox.
Bad Grandpa, starring Johnny Knoxville, is the fourth film since 2002 based on the Jackass MTV reality series known for its cast’s self-injuring stunts and pranks. The new film, made for $15 million, is based on a recurring character, Irving Zisman, who goes on a road trip with his grandson.
The previous installment, 2010’s Jackass 3-D, had the series’ best opening and generated $117.2 million in domestic theaters for Paramount, owned by Viacom Inc. Bad Grandpa was the second-best debut for a Jackass movie, Rentrak said. All the films were directed by Jeff Tremaine and star Knoxville.
Bad Grandpa garnered a 62 percent favorable rating on RottenTomatoes.com, which aggregates reviews. Knoxville, as the title character, takes a cross-country road trip to deliver his grandson to his deadbeat dad. On the way they stage stunts, and the bemused reactions of real-life bystanders are captured on film.
Gravity, from Warner Bros., collected about $20 million, falling to second in its fourth weekend. The movie has won critical acclaim for its star, Sandra Bullock, and director Alfonso Cuaron, while packing in audiences.
Last weekend, the film became the first to hold the No. 1 spot for three straight weeks since The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in December. Made for $100 million, Gravity has earned $199.6 million domestically since Oct. 4.
The Counselor, directed by Ridley Scott, stars Michael Fassbender as a lawyer who, in a single lapse of judgment, gets wrapped up in a drug-trafficking deal with his nightclub-owning client, played by Javier Bardem. The R-rated movie also stars Penelope Cruz, Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz.
The screenplay was written by Cormac McCarthy, whose novels include No Country for Old Men and The Road, which were made into films.
The Counselor, made for $25 million according to Box Office Mojo, was projected to take in $10 million for the film unit of 21st Century Fox, the estimate of researcher Box Office Guru.
The Counselor garnered a 36 percent fresh rating on RottenTomatoes. The Los Angeles Times described the film as “an extremely unpleasant piece of business.” That has been the general consensus from critics throughout the United States.
Among returning films, Captain Phillips, the acclaimed Somali-pirate shipping drama starring Tom Hanks, generated about $11.6 million in ticket sales for Columbia, dropping to third from second place. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, the animated sequel also from Columbia, remained in fifth place by collecting about $6 million, which brought its total domestic revenue to more than $100 million in five weeks.
Carrie, a remake of the 1976 Brian De Palma movie, collected close to $6 million to place sixth for Columbia.
MovieStyle, Pages 34 on 11/01/2013