Say what you want about Pixar's run of sequels not having the same innovation we're all accustomed to (I would wholeheartedly disagree with that sentiment), that hasn't stopped anybody from paying to see them. Monsters University, a prequel to 2001's Monsters Inc., scored the second highest debut ever for the mighty studio, and the fifth largest June opening of all-time. It's another feather in Pixar's cap, marking their 14th film to open in first place, and will probably have Disney ordering up more sequels and prequels for some of their other classics. We already have a Finding Nemo sequel on the way, and rumors of Toy Story 4 never truly go away. But Monsters University was an especially big risk, taking the beloved workplace comedy many people could related to and giving it an Animal House spin. The frat house comedy doesn't naturally lend itself to family-friendly entertainment, but Pixar was smart to play up the dynamic between Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman), which everybody knows and loves.
2. World War Z- $66M
Probably the biggest shock about World War Z is that it wasn't the total disaster many had expected it to be. Plagued by expensive reshoots, rewrites, and delays that bumped it from the Oscar race to the summer, many were looking at it as...well, the walking dead. But reviews have been fairly strong, and the $66M opening a solid start for Brad Pitt, who also served as producer. When simply showing thousands of zombies failed to generate much interest, Pitt became the focus and it turned out to be a smart move as audiences aren't used to seeing him in blockbuster territory like this. There are still some major concerns, though. All of production issues reportedly ballooned the budget to over $200M, with some experts saying $400M is the bar just to begin earning a profit. If that's the case, then there's still a long way to go before this doesn't turn out to be a major dud. Pitt is a global star, and the film features a diverse international cast, which may be why it's off to a strong start overseas with $45.8M.
3. Man of Steel- $41.2M/$210M
Crossing the $200M+ mark in only ten days was Man of Steel, which probably blunts the 64% tumble it suffered in its second weekend. Worldwide it's over $280M, and probably doesn't have Krypton's chance in Hell at joining Iron Man 3 in the $1B club, but it's good enough to have Warner Bros. prepping sequels and spinoffs and all sorts of other superhero madness.
4. This Is The End- $13M/$57.8M
5. Now You See Me- $7.9M/$94.45M
Keeps on truckin' along, and should pass $100M domestic soon. Worldwide it's already there with a total of $122M. I still think if this had come out on a totally different weekend it would have twice this amount, but that's the drawback of our blockbuster-only movie culture.
6. Fast & Furious 6- $4.7M/$228.4M
7. The Internship- $3.4M/$38.3M
8. The Purge- $3.4M/$59.4M
9. Star Trek Into Darkness- $3M/$216.6M
10. Iron Man 3- $2.17M/$403.1M
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