Associated Press
"Fifty Shades of Grey" didn't give up control of the box
office.
The erotic drama from Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, which
stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, earned $23.2 million at No.
1 in its second weekend of release, according to studio estimates
Sunday.
Despite the victory, the take by "Fifty Shades of Grey"
plummeted steeply from its record-breaking $93 million opening last
weekend.
"There was a pent-up demand and excitement for 'Fifty Shades of
Grey' last weekend, so this was its destiny after it broke the
box-office record for the biggest opening in February and didn't
have the added bonus of a holiday weekend," said Paul
Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office firm
Rentrak.
The action spy film "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and the
family friendly "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water"
similarly kept their respective No. 2 and No. 3 spots. "Kingsman,"
from Twentieth Century Fox, took in $17.5 million, while
"SpongeBob," from Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, soaked up
another $15.5 million.
A trio of newcomers failed to crack the top three.
Walt Disney Co.'s cross-country racing tale "McFarland, USA"
premiered at No. 4, with $11.3 million. Lions Gate Entertainment's
high-school comedy "The DUFF" debuted at No. 5 with $11 million.
Paramount's wacky sequel "Hot Tub Time Machine 2" opened at No. 7,
with $5.8 million.
A few Oscar contenders received a boost at the box office ahead
of Sunday's 87th annual Academy Awards.
"American Sniper," which is up for six awards, including best
picture and best actor for Bradley Cooper, racked up another $9.6
million at No. 6 in its ninth weekend of release.
"The Imitation Game," nominated for eight Academy Awards,
including best actor for Benedict Cumberbatch and best supporting
actress for Keira Knightley, came in at No. 9 with $2.5 million in
its 13th weekend.
"Still Alice," which features best actress front-runner Julianne
Moore, earned $2.2 million after expanding to 765 theaters in its
sixth weekend.
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