Rihanna Beats Out Kevin Hart For No.1 at Box Office

29 Mar, 2015

Rihanna’s animated alien adventure “Home” beat out the Will Ferrell-Kevin Hart comedy “Get Hard” with a resounding debut of $54 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

While the two films had been expected to vie for the top spot at North American theaters, “Home” came in well above expectations, handing DreamWorks Animation a much-needed hit. Though a distant second, “Get Hard” also opened strongly with an estimated $34.6 million, rewarding the Warner Bros. pairing of two of the most bankable stars in comedy.

Last week’s top film, the young-adult sequel “The Divergent Series: Insurgent,” slid to third with $22.1 million.

“Get Hard” united the fans of Hart and Ferrell, albeit while finding some criticism for its racial humor. And “Home” is the rare animated film led by an African-American girl protagonist (voiced by Rihanna). She plays a teenage girl left alone after an alien invasion of Earth. Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez and Steve Martin round out the cast.

Despite the lure of March Madness on TV screens, “Home” (which capitalized on the relative dearth of family-friendly options) and “Get Hard” drove moviegoers to theaters. Overall, the box office was up about 8 percent from last year, according to box-office data firm Rentrak

“Get Hard” had been dogged by controversy, as some questioned the tastefulness of humor that critics called homophobic and racist. The directorial debut of Etan Cohen, it stars Ferrell as a hedge fund manager sentenced to a maximum security prison for fraud. To prepare for life in prison, he turns to the only black person in his orbit, a family man played by Hart.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, the latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. “Home,” $54 million ($24 million international).

2. “Get Hard,” $34.6 million ($4.6 million international).

3. “The Divergent Series: Insurgent,” $22.1 million ($29.9 million international).

4. “Cinderella,” $17.5 million ($38.7 million international).

5. “It Follows,” $4 million.

6. “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” $3.1 million ($25 million international).

7. “Run All Night,” $2.2 million ($2.1 million international).

8. “Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” $2.2 million ($2.3 million international).

9. “Do You Believe?” $2.2 million.

10. “The Gunman,” $2 million

AP

Image Rap-up .com

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