1. Ant-Man (review here)- $58M
In the weeks leading up to the release of Ant-Man, it seemed Marvel was getting a little bit desperate to kick up interest in the B-List character. But they really had nothing to worry about for a number of reasons. The film opened with a solid $58M, which may be the lowest for Marvel since 2008's $55M debut of The Incredible Hulk, but it's also the least expensive film they've produced to date. Add that it features a character few recognize, and that it has earned $114M worldwide when international numbers are factored in should make Marvel execs plenty happy. There was some hope it would perform similar to another offbeat Marvel offering, Guardians of the Galaxy, but that was never going to be in the cards. First of all, Ant-Man is a brand new solo franchise, Marvel's first since Captain America: The First Avenger, and it lacks the same level of star power. All in all, the film performed well enough that if Marvel decides to move forward on a sequel they should be solid enough footing to do so. If $58M domestic is considered "weak" by Marvel standards then they can live with that.
2. Minions- $50.2M/$216.6M
Tumbling 57% from last week, those pesky little Minions may end up falling short of the heights reached by the preceding two Despicable Me movies, especially since a ton of family-friendly choices are on the way, starting with Adam Sandler's Pixels next week.
3. Trainwreck (review here)- $30.2M
Amy Schumer may be wildly popular on TV, but it was unclear if that would translate to the big screen, even with the assistance of Judd Apatow. Fortunately all worked out as Trainwreck opened to $30.2M, the second biggest of Apatow's career and a breakthrough performance for Schumer. While some had debated whether the film could possibly top Ant-Man this week, that was never going to happen. First of all, the R-rating limited its audience to a certain degree, plus the polarizing nature of Schumer's act probably had some waiting for the reviews to rollout before deciding if it was worth paying to see. Given that the buzz from critics has been overwhelmingly positive, don't be surprised if Trainwreck steams along the tracks for awhile.
4. Inside Out- $11.6M/$306.3M
5. Jurassic World- $11.4M/$611.1M
6. Terminator Genisys- $5.4M/$80.6M
7. Magic Mike XXL- $4.5M/$58.6M
8. The Gallows- $4M/$18M
9. Ted 2- $2.7M/$77.4M
10. Mr. Holmes- $2.48M
Also debuting this week was Mr. Holmes, in which Sir Ian McKellen plays the world famous detective Sherlock Holmes post-retirement. So this is more of a character study than the bombastic Guy Ritchie movies led by Robert Downey Jr., but the $2.4M opening for Roadside Attractions in limited release shows audiences love the sleuth however they can get him.
