Avengers remains strong, Witherspoon and Vergara are a bust at the box office

The early weekend box office estimates are out and, once again, Avengers: Age of Ultron had a massive weekend. Meanwhile, the one notable debut had a notably lacklustre opening. Here’s what went down:

Though it hasn’t been as universally acclaimed as the first film, Avengers: Age of Ultron is still a certifiable crowd pleaser, which meant decent word of mouth was going to keep it strong for its second weekend in release. The film held onto the top spot, grossing an estimated $78 million, raising its total to $313 million in North America in just one week. That’s a huge number, though it is off from the first film’s gross during the same time frame by about 14%. In some cases, this would be cause for a bit of studio alarm, but the truth of the matter is, the first Avengers was a once in a lifetime box office bonanza that was unlikely to be replicated. Should the second film end its run in North America between $450-$500 million, I’d like to think it will still be considered a huge success. Worldwide including this weekend’s estimate, Age of Ultron has grossed $875 million, so everybody should be thrilled.

As for the rest of the top five, Hot Pursuit, the Sofia Vergara/Reese Witherspoon vehicle was a total bust, bringing in a lacklustre $12.9 million to debut in second place. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 was in third place with $5.1 million, with Furious 7 close behind in fourth place with $5 million. The Age of Adaline closes things out in fifth place with $4.9 million.

So, to recap, here were our predictions:

1) Avengers: Age of Ultron – $90 million
2) Hot Pursuit – $19 million
3) Furious 7 – $5.5 million
4) The Age of Adaline – $5 million
5) Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 – $4 million

And here’s how the weekend turned out:

1) Avengers: Age of Ultron – $78 million
2) Hot Pursuit – $12.9 million
3) Furious 7 – $5.1 million
4) Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2– $5 million
5) The Age of Adaline – $4 million

Next weekend sees the release of two big sequels – Mad Max: Fury Road and Pitch Perfect 2. One of them will topple the Avengers. Find out which on Friday!