It was another grim box office weekend for movie stars, as a micro-budgeted horror film, “The Purge,†crushed Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in “The Internship.†A mere $3 million to make, “The Purge†(Universal Pictures) surprisingly dominated North American theaters, taking in an estimated $36.4 million, according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box office data.
“Fast & Furious 6†(Universal) was second, taking in about $19.8 million, for a three-week total of $202.9 million. The holdover “Now You See Me†(Lionsgate) finished third, with estimated ticket sales of $19.5 million, for a two-week total of $61.4 million. “The Internship,†which cost Fox and New Regency about $58 million to make, was a disappointing fourth, taking in about $18.1 million. And the animated “Epic†(Fox) was fifth, selling $12.1 million in tickets, for a three-week total of $84.2 million.
Why did audience interest surge for “The Purge� Universal and Blumhouse Productions backed the horror movie with a savvy social media marketing campaign. The concept was also fresh: in the movie’s futuristic plot, any and all crime is legalized during one 12-hour period each year. “The Internship,†on the other hand, was lambasted by some critics as a glorified infomercial for Google, and its marketing campaign, in particular its outdoor advertisements, appeared to copy the playbook of comedies past.
