'Suicide Squad' loses some luster in 2nd box-office weekend

The colourful crew of Suicide Squad got duller in their second weekend in theatres, with audiences hungry for the raunchy fare of animated Sausage Party.

Warner Bros' intensely scrutinised comic book film broke records last weekend and managed to stay atop the box office with US$43.8 million, according to studio estimates on Sunday. But its earnings dropped a steep 67 per cent from last weekend.

While not unexpected for a film of its size, a fall that large is often an indicator of poor word of mouth, said comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian. The DC Comics film, which cost around US$175 million to produce, has earned US$222.9 million domestically to date and US$465.3 million worldwide.

Sony's raunchy R-rated comedy, Sausage Party, co-written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, debuted in second place with US$33.6 million, outpacing its reported production budget of US$19 million.

BIG WINS

"What is phenomenal about this result is it shows if you take risks and are high-quality and original in this marketplace, it can pay off big time," said Josh Greenstein, Sony's president of worldwide marketing and distribution. "It's a big win for Sony."

Paramount's Meryl Streep-starrer, Florence Foster Jenkins, also got off to an inauspicious start, taking in US$6.6 million from 1,528 locations.

Holdover, Jason Bourne, took fourth-place with US$13.6 million, bringing its domestic total to US$126.8 million after three weeks in theatres, while the modestly budgeted Bad Moms rounded out the top five with US$11.5 million. The R-rated STX comedy has earned a robust US$71.5 million domestically.

In limited release, Lionsgate and CBS Films' well-reviewed Western Hell or High Water earned a terrific US$592,000 from just 32 theatres. The film, starring Jeff Bridges and Chris Pine, will be expanding in the coming weeks.

Even with modest starts and disappointing holds, the box office is still up about 16 per cent from this weekend last year and 5.2 per cent overall as the summer season nears its end.

Here are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US, and Canadian theatres, according to comScore:

1. Suicide Squad, US$43.8 million (US$58.7 million international)

2. Sausage Party, US$33.6 million (US$2.6 million international)

3. Pete's Dragon, US$21.5 million (US$5.1 million international)

4. Jason Bourne, US$13.6 million (US$18.6 million international)

5. Bad Moms, US$11.5 million (US$6.2 million international)

6. The Secret Life of Pets, US$8.8 million (US$40 million international)

7. Star Trek Beyond, US$6.8 million (US$2.5 million international)

8. Florence Foster Jenkins, US$6.6 million

9. Nine Lives, US$3.5 million (US$325,000 international)

10. Lights Out, US$3.2 million (US$3.2 million international)

- AP