Really now, does anyone seriously think that the public would prefer watching Martin Lawrence in drag to Tom Cruise in leather?
To the surprise of no one, the obscenely lucrative “M:I-2” — which opened to $70 million-plus dollars over the Memorial Day holiday -– continued to wow the viewing public, pulling in another $27 million in its second weekend of release, according to estimates from box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.
So far, the John Woo–Tom Cruise collaboration has grossed $130.7 million since opening May 24.
In what was an unusually quiet week for new theatrical releases, the weekend’s only major opener, the Martin Lawrence comedy “Big Momma’s House,” came in at a close second with an estimated $25.6 million.
As to the rest of the Top Five: Disney’s computer-animated tale “Dinosaur” dropped one slot to No. 3 ($12 mil); the Jackie Chan flick “Shanghai Noon” slipped to No. 4 ($8.6 mil); and the relentlessly bankable “Gladiator” finished at No. 5 ($8.1 mil).
Here’s a complete look at the weekend Top 10, according to estimates from Exhibitor Relations:
1. “M:I-2,” $27 mil
2. “Big Momma’s House,” $25.6 mil (new)
3. “Dinosaur,” $12.1 mil
4. “Shanghai Noon,” $8.6 mil
5. “Gladiator,” $8.1 mil
6. “Road Trip,” $6.7 mil
7. “7. “Frequency,” $2.1 mil
8. “Small Time Crooks,” $1.7 mil
9. “U-571,” $1.4 mil
10. “Center Stage,” $1.1 mil
