Two weeks on top for The Secret Life of Pets

NEW YORK (AP):

After months of pre-release debate, Sony Picture's female-led Ghostbusters reboot arrived in cinemas as neither a massive success nor the bomb some predicted as the much-scrutinised film opened with an estimated US$46 million in North American cinemas.

The Secret Life of Pets stayed on top with US$50.6 million in its second week, according to studio estimates yesterday.

But all eyes were on Paul Feig's Ghostbusters, which resurrects the 1984 original. Sony, noting it was the best opening for a live-action comedy in more than a year, called the result "a triumph". Yet given its hefty price tag (the film cost US$144 million to make, after rebates, plus more than US$100 million to market), it's a relatively tepid start for Ghostbusters that will put pressure on the film to perform well overseas. And that could be a challenge in some territories that don't have the same familiarity with the original Ghostbusters films.

CONTINUED DISINTEREST

The true-story crime drama The Infiltrator, starring Bryan Cranston, supplied a counterprogramming option from the usual summer fare and took in US$5.3 million. Woody Allen's 1930s Hollywood drama CafÈSociety opened in limited release with US$355,000 in five cinemas.

Following are estimated ticket sales for Friday through yesterday at US and Canadian cinemas, according to comScore.

1. The Secret Life of Pets, US$50.6m

2. Ghostbusters, US$46m

3. The Legend of Tarzan, US$11.1m

4. Finding Dory, US$11m

5. Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, US$7.5m

6. The Purge: Election Year, US$6.1m

7. Central Intelligence, US$5.3m

8. The Infiltrator, US$5.3m

9. The BFG, US$6.7m

10. Independence Day: Resurgence, US$3.5m