Melissa McCarthy, enthusiastic reviews, and a feminist twist/deconstruction of the secret-agent genre propelled “Spy” to the top of the box office this weekend. The R-rated comedy made $30 million domestically in three days and has grossed $56.5 million internationally thus far. (The film opened in Asia two weeks ago.)
Since McCarthy’s two previous vehicles, “Tammy” and “The Heat,” made only 16% and 31% of its ticket sales overseas, “Spy” may finally signal the comedienne’s international stardom. It is expected to gross $200 million worldwide.
In addition to good news for women in comedy, the weekend box-office tallies also offer some schadenfreude about “Entourage” (bro-denfreude?), if you’re into that type of thing. As TV Guide’s hilariously mean-spirited headline “Entourage Flops, Humanity Wins” suggests, the big-screen adaptation of the HBO series made just $17.8 million in five days, rendering unlikely any chance for more movies about Vince and the gang. In contrast, the first “Sex and the City” opened with $58 million in 2008.
[via Indiewire, Box Office Mojo]
