BOX OFFICE: THE BOURNE LEGACY Takes #1 On Friday; THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Slips To #3
Universal's weekend projection has been lowered from $45 million+ to somewhere around the $41 million mark after a Friday opening of $14 million for The Bourne Legacy (which nabbed the #1 spot from TDKR).
Deadline reports that despite being on course for the #1 spot at the North American box office this weekend, The Bourne Legacy now looks set to earn a slightly lower than expected total of $41 million. It opened yesterday to $14 million, as the after-effects of the tragic Aurora shooting are still being felt in theatres due to sluggish late-night traffic. Mixed reviews and a 'B' CinemaScore may have played a role in these slightly lower numbers. This is by no means a bad result for Universal, although there is a lot of pressure on The Bourne Legacy to perform well as the studio are hoping that the film will be the first instalment in a new Matt Damon-less Bourne franchise for them.
Meanwhile, The Campaign over performed, pushing The Dark Knight Rises down to the #3 spot as Christopher Nolan's final Batman movie took $5.6 million on Friday for a weekend of around $20 million, and a domestic cume of $390 million. Total Recall has slipped to #6 with $2.6 million yesterday and around $8.5M for the weekend with a $44.6 million cume. The Amazing Spider-Man may just hold onto the #10 spot, but faces stiff competition from The Watch. It now has a domestic total of $255.8 million.
The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy. The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films. For The Bourne Legacy, Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.
STARRING:
Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross
Rachel Weisz as Stephanie Snyder
Edward Norton as Byer
Joan Allen as Pam Landy
David Strathairn as Noah Vosen
Albert Finney as Dr. Albert Hirsch
Scott Glenn as Ezra Kramer
RELEASE DATE: August 3rd 10th, 2012