Will Smith’s con-man caper “Focus” disrobed “Fifty Shades of Grey” at the box office, but the film’s modest $19.1 million opening still left questions about the drawing power of the once unstoppable star.
According to studio estimates Sunday, Warner Bros.’ “Focus” easily topped all competitors on a weekend with little competition at North American multiplexes. In second place was the Colin Firth spy thriller “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” which made $11.8 million in its third week of release.
After two weeks atop the box office, “Fifty Shades of Grey” continued its steep slide, landing in fourth with an estimated $10.9 million for Universal Pictures. “Fifty Shades,” which has made $486.2 million globally, fell just behind Paramount’s “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water,” which earned $11.2 million in its fourth week.
The weekend’s only other new wide release, Relativity’s horror film “The Lazarus Effect,” opened in fifth place with $10.6 million.
But the weekend was largely seen, fairly or not, as a referendum on Smith’s star power. “Focus,” written and directed by the “Crazy, Stupid, Love” duo Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, is Smith’s first film since 2013’s “After Earth,” the sci-fi flop in which he co-starred with his son, Jaden.
Smith has been frank about the sting of that film’s box-office performance. “I can’t allow the box-office success, or lack thereof, to determine my self-image,” he said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
But “Focus,” made for about $50 million and co-starring Margot Robbie of “The Wolf of Wall Street,” was never intended to be a summer-sized blockbuster. It had been predicted to make around $21 million.
“This is a mid-budgeted film with a result that matches,” said Jeff Goldstein, head of distribution for Warner Bros., who added that winter storms accounted for a drop of $1-2 million. “There’s no question we got hammered because of inclement weather in the South and the Midwest.”
The R-rated “Focus,” overwhelmingly appealed to adults, with 88 percent of its audience older than 25 — not a good sign for Smith’s appeal to a new generation of moviegoers who weren’t around for his triumphs in “Independence Day.”
Nevertheless, there aren’t many stars who could do better with a drama in late February. And “Focus” should play well internationally, where Smith’s popularity remains strong.
“This still goes on his balance sheet as a number one debut,” said Paul Degarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office data firm Rentrak. “He can still draw an audience, particularly with a film that’s R-rated and not aimed at the young crowd.”
Some of last Sunday’s Oscar winners saw slight bumps at the box office.
Best-picture winner “Birdman (Or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” added some 800 screens to bring in $2 million over the weekend, pushing its total past $40 million. “Still Alice,” for which Julianne Moore won best actress, added 553 screens and earned $2.7 million. It’s now made $12 million for Sony Pictures Classics.
“American Sniper,” far and away the biggest box-office hit of the best-picture nominees, was also easily the top post-Oscars draw. It added another $7.7 million, to bring its cumulative domestic gross to $331.1 million.
Estimated ticket sales are for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak.
The Top 10
1. “Focus,” $19.1 million
2. “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” $11.8 million
3. “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water,” $11.2 million
4. “Fifty Shades of Grey,” $10.9 million
5. “The Lazarus Effect,” $10.6 million
6. “McFarland, USA,” $7.8 million
7. “American Sniper,” $7.7 million
8. “The DUFF,” $7.2 million
9. “Still Alice,” $2.7 million
10. “Hot Tub Time Machine 2,” $2.4 million
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