Box Office: 'Bad Grandpa' Knocks Down 'Gravity,' '12 Years A Slave' Makes The Top Ten

Jackass: Bad Grandpa

After three weeks, “Gravity” has been taken down a peg by none other than “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.” Although it could read disheartening (Oscar-buzzed original sci-fi knocked down by lowbrow comedy third sequel), there’s hope yet that we can still have nice things as a few limited release, independent films make their way onto the leader board. 

With Nikki Finke’s disapproval (calling it “moronic” and a “crapfest”) in her last Deadline box office report ever (if her Twitter and the general rumors are to be believed), ‘Bad Grandpa’ took the top spot with $32 million. Rounding up the ‘Jackass’ creative team with Johnny Knoxville starring and co-writing, Jeff Tremaine directing and co-writing, and Spike Jonze co-writing, ‘Bad Grandpa’ uses the premise of an old man and his grandson on a road trip for some ‘Jackass’-style hijinks and pranks. As the fourth ‘Jackass’ feature (also the fourth to open at #1), ‘Bad Grandpa’ fared better than “Jackass” ($22.8 million) and “Jackass: Number Two” ($29 million), but was no match for “Jackass 3-D” numbers ($50.4 million). This opening weekend also marks the second best for an R-rated comedy this year (after “The Heat” and its $39.1 million) and the fourth best ever for an MTV film (not adjusted for inflation), after “Jackass 3-D,” “The Longest Yard” ($47.6 million) and “Blades of Glory” ($33 million). 

Brad Pitt, The Counselor

Slipping to second in its fourth weekend, “Gravity” made $20.3 million, with a running domestic total of $199.8 million, marking the highest-grossing film of George Clooney‘s career. In a steady third, and with the second lowest holdover drop on the leader board (-28%), “Captain Phillips” made $11.8 million.

In a disappointing fourth, “The Counselor” opened with $8 million, off of a reported $25 million budget. Directed by Ridley Scott, written by Cormac McCarthy, and with a star-studded cast (Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt), audiences barely turned out for the drug-trafficking thriller, with a $2,628 per theater average (less than a third of the $9,591 per theater average of ‘Bad Grandpa’).

In fifth, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” made $6.1 million, crossing the domestic $100 million mark with a running total of $100.6 million and making it the 25th film of 2013 to do so. In a possibly symbolic sixth is “Carrie” (though that’s more Antichrist than telekinesis), conjuring up $5.9 million for the weekend, crossing the
domestic $25 million mark in its second weekend with a running total of
$26 million. In seventh, “Escape Plan” has yet to vacate the top ten with $4.3 million. 

In its first weekend making the leader board, “12 Years a Slave” placed in eighth overall and made $2.2 million from 123 theaters, with an astounding $17,480 per theater average (the second best of the weekend after “Blue is the Warmest Color“). In ninth, “Enough Said” is still talking with $1.6 million and in tenth, “Prisoners” locked down $1.1 million.

1. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (Paramount) – $32,000,000

2. Gravity (Warner Bros.) – $20,300,000 ($199,814,000)

3. Captain Phillips (Sony) – $11,800,000 ($70,074,000)

4. The Counselor (Fox) – $8,000,000

5. Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs 2 (Sony) – $6,100,000 ($100,611,000)

6. Carrie (ScreenGem/Sony) – $5,900,000 ($26,021,000)

7. Escape Plan (LionsGate) – $4,340,000 ($17,424,000)

8. 12 Years A Slave (Fox Searchlight) – $2,150,000 ($3,410,000)

9. Enough Said (Fox Searchlight) – $1,555,000 ($13,021,000)

10. Prisoners (Warner Bros.) – $1,063,000 ($59,122,000)