Seismic box office debut for 'San Andreas'

Mega-disaster epic "San Andreas" lived up to its earth-shaking  hype -- at least at the box office -- earning $53.2 million in ticket sales in its debut weekend early in the blockbuster summer season.

The big-budget visual spectacular by Warner Bros, whose title refers to the geological rift most likely to produce a massive California quake, stars Dwayne Johnson as a rescue helicopter pilot who teams up with his estranged wife to rescue their daughter after temblors unleash chaos on Los Angeles and San Francisco.

It rocked the weekend competition, according to box office tracker Exhibitor Relations estimates released Sunday, which showed that "Pitch Perfect 2" was kept far behind at $14.8 million in its second week in second place.

Starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson, the musical comedy sequel follows the fortunes of the Barden Bellas singing team as they chase international success after being banned from the competitive circuit.

Disney's "Tomorrowland," the sci-fi adventure drama starring George Clooney which topped last weekend's box office, slipped to third, snatching $13.8 million.

"Mad Max: Fury Road," the fourth film of the iconic "Mad Max" franchise and the first in 30 years, took fourth position in the rankings, with $13.6 million.

Slipping one spot to fifth was superhero blockbuster "Avengers: Age of Ultron," with $10.9 million, adding to its North American total of $427 million and its eyebrow-raising global haul of $1.32 billion.

It was a sixth-place welcome for "Aloha," the Hawaii-based romantic comedy starring Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone, and featuring a cascade of Hollywood heavyweights like Bill Murray and Alec Baldwin.

The Sony film, written by Cameron Crowe, drew $10 million in its debut.

"Poltergeist," a 3D remake of the 1982 horror classic about a family home haunted by evil forces that abduct a young girl, dropped two slots to seventh in its second week, earning $7.8 million.

Rounding out the top 10 were the adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel "Far From the Madding Crowd," with $1.4 million; comedy "Hot Pursuit," with $1.3 million; and animated children's movie "Home," with $1.1 million.
Source: AFP