The biggest South African box office earners in May were proof that a cinematic
round-two can deliver knock-out ratings. The idea of having one more chance to
rewrite history, wander along the yellow brick road or plot the perfect revenge,
is one which keeps audiences coming back for more…
X-Men: Days of Future Past
The X-men franchise continues with a superhero sequel featuring some familiar
fan favourites. Two generations of mutants merge when original cast members
Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen
Page, Shawn Ashmore and Daniel Cudmore join James McAvoy, Jennifer
Lawrence, Nicholas Hoult, and Michael Fassbender in X-Men: Days of Future
Past.
The film made an epic entry, earning R5 302 220 in its opening weekend at the
SA box office after bringing in US$ 91 million in its US debut weekend. It is the
second-highest international opener in the Fox-Marvel series after X-Men: The
Last Stand.
Godzilla
The Warner Bros.-Legendary remake of the 1954 Japanese classic Godzilla has
captured R4 481 127 nationwide, a 47% drop since its opening weekend due to
monstrous competition from the Marvel mutants. Breakthrough Brit director
Gareth Edwards revives this version with roaring relevance which appeals to a
new generation of movie-goers and monster fiends alike.
The Other Woman
Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, and Kate Upton are the scheming starlets who
feature in Fox’s raunchy rom-com, The Other Woman. Appealing largely to
female audiences, the chick-flick has done better than expected, accumulating R
10 455 994 at the local box office after four weeks. As it turns out, three women
scorned spells sweet success.
Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return
A-list actors venture down the yellow brick road, breathing life into the
characters that lit up our imaginations in the original 1939 musical film The
Wizard of Oz. Lea Michele is the voice of Dorothy, Dan Aykroyd plays The
Scarecrow, Kelsey Grammer features as The Tin Man and Jim Belushi is The
Cowardly Lion. Despite a sparkling cast, Summertime Entertainment’s Legends
of Oz hasn’t quite found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, earning a mere
R953 020 nationally in its opening weekend.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro
After five weeks on circuit The Amazing Spider-Man 2, released by Columbia
Pictures, continues to captivate SA audiences, spinning R20 884 831 at the local
box office, with 72 prints. Directed by Marc Webb, the mighty Marvel sequel has
grossed US$187 100 000 in the USA and has broken box office records in a
number of countries.
Rio 2
The second Rio movie, which features the voices of Anne Hathaway, Jesse
Eisenberg, Bruno Mars and Jamie Foxx, is still soaring after spending seven
weeks in SA cinemas. The animated family film, directed by Carlos Saldanha, has
garnered R20 189 659 at the local box office, with 53 prints. The movie is
distributed by Times Media Film.
Walk of Shame
Despite having earned her comedic chops in a number of brilliant blockbusters,
Elizabeth Banks’ latest offering has been criticized as just another one-note
chick flick. In its opening weekend the Steven Brill comedy earned R434 882
nationally and may have to face up to its name in coming weeks.
Heaven is for Real
Based on the New York Times best-selling book by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
Heaven Is for Real has earned R1 503 829 at the SA box office, after three
weeks of release. Directed by Randall Wallace and distributed by Ster-Kinekor,
the movie challenges audiences with the ultimate comeback…
