Our American Box Office

... and plot exposition, good and bad. (See below.)

The big car chase movie remains on top. DreamWorks Animation's Home stays in the Top Five.

U.S./ Canada Top Ten

1). Furious 7 (UNI), 3,808 theaters (-156%) / $4.8M Fri. (-42%) / 3-day cume: $16-M17M (-42 to 45%) / Total cume: $318M-319M/ Wk 4

2). Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 (SONY), 3,633 theaters (0)/ $3.75M Fri. (-49%)/ 3-day cume: $13.7M (-42%)/ Total Cume: $42.16M / Wk 2

3). The Age of Adaline (LGF), 2,991 theaters / $4.96M Fri. / 3-day cume: $12.4M / Wk 1

4). Home (FOX/DW), 3,311 theaters (-177) / $1.825M Fri. (-26%) / 3-day cume: $7.9M (-25%)/ Total cume: $153.4M / Wk 5

5). Unfriended (UNI), 2,775 theaters (+36) / $2M Fri. (-70%)/ 3-day cume: $5.9M (-63%)/ Total Cume: $24.8M/Wk 2

6). Ex Machina (A24), 1,255 theaters (+1,216) / $1.7M Fri. / 3-day cume: $4.88M (+5,115%)/ Total cume: $6.19M / Wk 3

7). The Longest Ride (FOX), 3,140 theaters (-231) / $1.365M Fri. (-43%)/ 3-day cume: $4M (-43%) / Total cume: $30M / Wk 3

8). Get Hard (WB), 2,276theaters (-379) / $1.05M Fri. (-27%) / 3-day cume: $3.56M (-28%) / Total cume: $83.7M / Wk 5

9). Monkey Kingdom (DIS), 2,012 theaters (0)/ $1.065M Fri. (-32%)/ 3-day cume: $3.33M (-27%) /Total Cume: $10M / Wk 2

10). Woman in Gold (TWC), 1,981 theaters (-30) / $903K Fri. (-33%) / 3-day cume: $3.1M (-33%) / Total cume: $21.2M / Wk 4

Deadline says (up there at the top) that Furious 7 has lost 156% of its theaters. Yet it remains #1. Truly outstanding! ...

This is particularly good because I'm told that Furious 7 is ... kind of clunky. As my friend the Wise Old Producer said:

I went to see that car picture last week. It's like a lot of movies today: boring exposition with two characters talking and explaining, followed by an action sequence, followed by more exposition in two-shots. ...

My son had much the same complaint about Big Hero 6.

But here's the way to do exposition. Have Norman Reilly Raine and Seton Miller write it. Have Michael Curtiz direct it.



Lots gets done here. Chief villain and most of his henchmen are introduced. Love interest is introduced (and the relationship started). The problem, theme and basic conflict for the movie are laid out. And all in 4 minutes and 57 seconds.