Hollywood on Course for Biggest Summer Box Office

Hollywood is on course for its biggest ever summer box
office in the US despite several high profile flops.
Big budget films The Lone Ranger, Will Smith's After
Earth and animation Turbo all hugely underperformed
in America, reports the BBC.
However figures show studio films have earned $4.1bn
(£2.6bn), close to 2011's previous high of $4.4bn
(£2.8bn).
Sci-fi Elysium, from District 9 director Neill Blomkamp,
topped this week's North American chart earning $
30.5m (£19.7m) in its opening weekend.
Starring Matt Damon and South African actor Sharlto
Copley, the film had a fairly modest debut after costing
$115m (£74.3m) to make.
Elysium matched studio expectations but opened with
a lower figure than director Blomkamp's surprise 2009
low-budget hit, which took $37.3m (£24.1m) in its first
three days.
Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony, said Elysium
would be "very profitable", adding "international is
going to be the big, big win on this film for us".
In a crowded week for new releases, Jennifer Aniston's
comedy We're The Millers took the second slot with $
26.6m (£17.2m) while Disney animation Planes took $
22.5m ($14.5m).
The weekend's takings brought 2013's total box office
to $7bn (£4.5bn) so far.
Sci-fi Pacific Rim and Jeff Bridges' action comedy
R.I.P.D were other high budget films which left studios
disappointed at the box office over the summer.
Chris Aronson, the head of distribution for Fox,
admitted 2013 had seen some "high-profile failures,"
but added, "the summer's been fantastic despite the
gloom and doom some in the media have portrayed".
The summer flops have been offset by the success of
films such as World War Z - which has crossed the $
500m (£323m) global takings mark despite rumoured
problems and reshoots - and the doomsday comedy
This Is the End, which has made $96m (£62m) - three-
times its budget.
Animations Despicable Me 2 and Monsters University
also earned huge box office numbers worldwide, taking
$746m (£482m) and $637m (£412m) respectively to
date.
North American box office
Elysium - $30.5m
We're the Millers -$26.6m
Planes - $22.5m
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - $14.6m
2 Guns - $11.1m
Source: Hollywood.com