Uneventful Box Office Maintains Summer Momentum

Not much to report from the box office after this week – despite all its manpower, Expendables 3 just couldn’t outgun previous chart toppers Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Guardians of the Galaxy and ended up fourth in a line of new releases and return champions. The Turtles continued their reign with a respectable $28,4 million on their second outing according to Rentrak (via The Huffington Post).

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Check out the guns on that turtle.

Guardians trailed only slightly behind with $24,7 million. In a slight disappointment for Marvel, the superhero space opera lost its lead in just the second week to the CGI-heavy TMNT flick. Even so, on its third week, GotG has reached an impressive cume of $222 million for distributor Walt Disney. Coupled with TMNT’s earnings this should enough to restore some faith in the 2014 summer box office from studios. For comparison, August so far marks a 14% increase in profits since last year, which of course concerns the average moviegoer roughly 0%.

More: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Is Awful - But It's Gonna Take $60 Million

Have a break from all those stats with the still hilarious Guardians of the Galaxy trailer below.

The new releases this week were far less impressive. Buddy comedy Let’s Be Cops came in third with $17,7 million. It’s an OK debut for a minor R-Rated comedy this late in summer, but definitely nothing to write home about. However, Sylvester Stallone starrer The Expendables 3 barely made a ripple for Lionsgate. Opening below both previous installments, the film, which also boasts the names of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Mel Gibson and a number of other go-to tough guys, the movie made just $16,2 million over the three-day period. According to Rentrak, the profit margin may have suffered due to the movie’s leak online.

Rounding out the chart was The Giver – a not entirely hopeless YA dystopian adaptation featuring Jeff Bridges, which could have done better with increased promotion and a less crowded release slot.