End of September Box Office

And animation is back on top.

“Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2” rolled up $9.3 million in its debut Friday, and Sony Animation’s family film is on the way to an easy weekend win at the box office, likely finishing with around $35 million for the three days.

That won’t be enough to top the best September opening ever – the $42 million taken in by Sony’s “Hotel Transylvania” on the same weekend last year – but it is ahead of the $30 million opening of the original “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.” ...

As for the rest of the pack:

The BIG Box Office Ten

1. Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2 3D (Sony) NEW [Runs 4,001] PG Friday $9.1M, Weekend $35.0M

2. Rush (Imagine/Universal) Week 2 [Runs 2,297] R Friday $3.6M, Weekend $10.8M, Cume $11.1M

3. Prisoners (Alcon/Warner Bros) Week 2 [Runs 3,290] R Friday $3.4M (-51%), Weekend $11.2M, Cume $38.4M

4. Don Jon (Relativity) NEW [Runs 2,422] R Friday $3.2M, Weekend $9.5M

5. Baggage Claim (Fox Searchlight) NEW [Runs 2,027] PG13 Friday $3.2M, Weekend $9.5M

6. Insidious: Chapter 2 (FilmDistrict) Week 3 [Runs 3,120] PG13 Friday $2.0M, Weekend $6.2M, Cume $69.1M

7. The Family (Relativity) Week 3 [Runs 2,894] R Friday $1.0M, Weekend $3.6M, Cume $31.6M

8. We’re The Millers (New Line/Warner Bros) Week 8 [Runs 2,405] R Friday $842K, Weekend $2.8M, Cume $142.4M

9. Metallica Through The Never 3D (PIcturehouse) NEW [Runs 308] R Friday $798K, Weekend $2.9M

10. Instructions Not Included (Lionsgate) Week 5 [Runs 948] PG13 Friday $787K, Weekend $3.0M, Cume $38.3M

As for the animated features bubbling out of the Top Ten: Planes remains in a couple of thousand theaters and has collected $87 million; Turbo has earned $82 million and still has a couple of hundred theaters; Monsters University also occupies a few hundred theaters with a total of $266,000,000 to its name.

But the title that just goes ... and goes ... and goes is Despicable Me 2, which is now north of $361 million in domestic earnings. Added to which:

Illumination Entertainment’s and Universal Pictures’ megahit toon sequel has grossed $498.4M internationally and will cross $500M at the overseas box office today. Despicable Me 2 is still playing at 3,000 dates in 41 territories right now and becomes the 10th highest grossing animated film of all time internationally. Combined with the U.S. estimated gross of $361.9M, the worldwide total will be $863.7M by Sunday after opening in Japan and South Africa. Pic is the second highest grossing film worldwide this year. ...

Not bad for a movie produced in Paris for $74 million. DM2 didn't get rattled by the "too many animated features" meme that studio chiefs and trade papers are pushing.