Turtles in fighting form

Paramount’s heavy sell on this latest reincarnation of the eccentric action property appears to have paid off. The $65m (£39m) No 1 debut for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was surprising, but even more shocking was that it dethroned Marvel Studios’ former box-office champ Guardians of the Galaxy. The marketing campaign deployed by Warner Bros, which is far more aggressive than the one for its 2007 TMNT film, seemed to be the clincher – the critics were just as unkind to both. Paramount reached the core family demographic and wasted no time giving the greenlight to a sequel, set for June 2016.

• TMNT first look review – what the shell is this?
• Megan Fox lashes out at critics of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Guardians is grounded in second weekend

How does a movie as heavily marketed as Guardians of the Galaxy follow-up the highest weekend for an August debut with a whimper of a second session? While the 56% drop was in line with typical sophomore performances, a victim perhaps of what often happens to genre titles, especially superhero movies: they outperform the opening weekend, when fans head to the multiplex, only to drop dramatically a week later in an increasingly crowded market. Unlike dramas and films for older demographics, superhero movies really do pack them in in the first weekend.

The fear is that Galaxy will “do a Transformers 4”. That movie opened earlier this summer on $100m and fell away rapidly. After seven weekends, it languishes outside the top 10 on $242.9m, easily the lowest US performer of the franchise by around $75m. International showings tend to save the day, and here it’s no different. Thanks to a stellar run outside the US, Age of Extinction has crossed $1bn worldwide, so no tears for Paramount. Similarly, Guardians continued to dominate the international box office at the weekend, and has passed $30m worldwide. Although it will do well globally, it is so much better than Age of Extinction and deserves to excel more in North America. Oh well, the box office is no place for sentiment.

• Why do women love Guardians of the Galaxy?
• Peter Bradshaw’s Guardians of the Galaxy review – smart and funny retro thrills

The Hundred-Foot Journey opens at number four

Disney released the Helen Mirren drama in fourth place, on $11.1m from 2,023 cinemas for a middling average taking of $5,498. This is the third India-set drama from Participant Media, founded by former eBay president Jeff Skoll. While the 2012 record of $46.4m set by The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel seems a stretch, you never know. There’s no other film like this out right now, and the older target audience takes its time getting to the cinema. Participant Media backed Marigold and its sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, due out in 2015.

• The Hundred-Foot Journey first look review – romance on the menu
• The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel released

Lucy nears $100m

Solid, solid, solid work from the latest action thriller by Luc Besson, who has conjured a high concept, sidestepped any hint of intimidating science (have you seen I Origins?) and delivered a by-the-numbers avenging-angel tale that boasts Scarlett Johansson and plenty of dazzling visuals. Now in its third weekend in the US, Lucy is on the cusp of $100m. What’s more, the movie, through Universal, just scored a massive $13m in its first week in France through Besson’s EuropaCorp and looks like it’s well on its way to becoming an international hit.

• Lucy: mindless and mixed up, but propulsive and fun – first look review
• America loves Lucy as Johansson-Besson collaboration takes US top spot

Expendables 3 limbering up

Lionsgate unleashes the third entry in Sly Stallone’s boys’n’guns franchise this week. The first two movies have combined for $580m worldwide so far. With new ingredients to entice fresh audiences – the first female member of the gang, played by women’s Ultimate Fighting Championship ace Ronda Rousey, and new male blood from Antonio Banderas, Wesley Snipes, Kelsey Grammer (yes, he) and villain Mel Gibson – could this be the one that pushes the series past $1bn worldwide? More to the point, when will we see The Expendabelles?

• Sylvester Stallone in Cannes: ‘When your ass falls off it’s time to retire’
• The Expendables 3 first look review – a blundering jackhammer of a film

North American top 10, August 8-10 2014

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, $65m
2. Guardians of the Galaxy, $41.5m. Total: $175.9m
3. Into the Storm, $18m
4. The Hundred-Foot Journey, $11.1m
5. Lucy, $9.3m. Total: $97.4m
6. Step Up: All In, $6.6m
7. Hercules, $5.7m. Total: $63.5m
8. Get on Up, $5m. Total: $22.9m
9. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, $4.4m. Total: $197.8m
10. Planes: Fire & Rescue, $2.5m. Total: $52.9m

• Previous weeks’ US box office analysis reports