This past weekend saw the release of two sequels of much loved originals, with 22 Jump Street and How to Train Your Dragon 2 finally being released on Australian screens. Both of the original films have gained a strong fanbase in the years since they were released, so the sequels were always going to be a big deal. 22 Jump Street managed to take the top spot this weekend with an incredible $6.88 million, almost doubling the take of Dragon, which made $3.47 million. The reduced opening for the animated sequel is due to the fact that the film has been shown in advanced screenings around the country over the past two weekends, so most fans had likely already seen the film before it officially opened. Both films are receiving extremely positive reviews around the world, including our own 22 Jump Street review, which you can check out here. Both films can also expect to stick around on the chart for a long time.
The other new film on the chart is psychological thriller The Two Faces of January, based on the novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith. The film stars Viggo Mortensen and Kirsten Dunst as a couple whose life gets entangled with that of a con artist played by future Star Wars star Oscar Isaac. You can read our review right here. The film is only screening in limited cinemas around the country so a Top 10 opening weekend is an impressive feat.
| # | Film Title | Distributor | Box Office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 JUMP STREET | SONY PICTURES | $6,883,273 |
| 2 | HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 | FOX | $3,474,681 |
| 3 | THE FAULT IN OUR STARS | FOX | $1,270,105 |
| 4 | MALEFICENT | WALT DISNEY | $1,057,204 |
| 5 | EDGE OF TOMORROW | ROADSHOW | $996,313 |
| 6 | BLENDED | WARNER BROS | $764,685 |
| 7 | X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST | FOX | $643,170 |
| 8 | THE TRIP TO ITALY | MADMAN | $241,291 |
| 9 | THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY | STUDIOCANAL | $227,593 |
| 10 | A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST | UNIVERSAL | $214,478 |
The major release for this week is Michael Bay’s next serving of large-scale robot destruction in Transformers: Age of Extinction. The film is expected to do massive business all over the world, even though audience goodwill towards the franchise is surely waning at this point. Critics are claiming that the fourth film offers more of the same, rather than being a fresh start for the series like we were initially promised. Read our review here. Also opening is Yves Saint Laurent, the French biopic of the legendary designer. The film will be screening in select cinemas around the country, and you can read our review here. Those of you looking for a movie to take the kids to can check out Tinkerbell and the Pirate Fairy, the animated sequel that Disney is releasing this week in 3D.
All figures from The Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia.
Transformers: Age of Extinction is in cinemas from today, while Yves Saint Laurent and Tinkerbell and the Pirate Fairy will be released tomorrow, Thursday June 26th.
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