'Michael' moonwalks back to box office top
'Michael', the biopic about late music superstar Michael Jackson, has returned to the top spot at the North American box office, showing impressive staying power with audiences, industry estimates showed on Sunday.
The film took in $26.1 million in its fourth week of release, Exhibitor Relations reported. Overall, 'Michael' has raked in a massive $703.8 million at the global box office. Holding its own at number two was 'The Devil Wears Prada', which earned $18 million in US and Canadian theatres.
Debuting in third place was horror flick 'Obsession' from Focus Features, which earned $16.1 million. The low-budget film stars Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette as a man who makes a sinister bargain to win the affections of the woman he admiresand must bear the consequences.
"Another weekend, another well-made, low-budget horror film over-performing at the box office. This opening is excellent," said analyst David A Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, saying it only cost an estimated $750,000 to make.
"Mortal Kombat II," a Warner Bros sequel based on the popular martial arts fantasy video game, dropped to fourth place at $13.4 million. And 'The Sheep Detectives', a family-friendly mystery film from Amazon MGM, finished in fifth place at $9.3 million.
The film stars Hugh Jackman as a shepherd who reads mysteries to his flock in an English village. When he is found dead, the sheep (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Patrick Stewart, among others) band together to solve the crime.
Others in the top 10 are: 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie' ($4.5 million), 'Project Hail Mary' ($3.9 million), 'Top Gun: 40th Anniversary' re-release ($3.1 million), 'In the Grey' ($3 million), 'Is God Is' ($2.2 million).