Scarlett Johansson’s thriller “Lucy” debuted in first place at the box office in Lebanon last weekend, with Johansson’s mind tricks holding Marvel’s latest offering, “Guardians of the Galaxy,” at second in its debut.
Directed by Frenchman Luc Besson and starring Johansson and Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, “Lucy” grossed $128,815 for the weekend of Aug. 14-19, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. Johansson plays a versatile woman who develops supernatural powers after being kidnapped and forced to work as a drug mule. In the film, Johansson shares a kiss with fellow co-star Egyptian actor Amr Waked.
Over in the Marvel multiverse, “Guardians of the Galaxy” managed only a weak $72,430 in its opening weekend. The film, set in the same universe where Johansson plays Black Widow on the Avengers’ team, takes Marvel comics superheroes into space, featuring Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldana as galactic warriors protecting the cosmos from some villains that Avengers fans will find familiar. A sequel has been announced, with a tentative release for July 2017.
Dropping from No. 1 last weekend, “Hercules” slid into third place in its second week with a modest $70,821. You might be confused, thinking you saw Hercules several months ago, but this isn’t the Kellan Lutz flop that was “Legend of Hercules.” In this take on the Greek demigod, Dwayne Johnson stars as the flawed hero leading a band of mercenaries until he is enlisted by the daughter of the King of Thrace to defeat a tyrannical warlord and save the kingdom.
Rounding the top five were “Expendables 3” and “Sex Tape.”
Released by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp, “The Expendables 3,” which groups together an extended cast of action stars featuring Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Shwarrzenegger, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and Antonio Banderas, belly flopped to fourth place with $59,968.
Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel who previously co-starred for director Jake Kasdan in “Bad Teacher,” now play a married couple who make a sex tape to spice up their marriage that accidentally goes public, in the comedy film “Sex Tape” which touched down in fifth place with $28,763.
Opening this weekend, look for Daniel Radcliffe’s “Horns.” Radcliffe’s success – or difficulty - in transitioning from Harry Potter to the horned star of a dark fantasy will be telling for his continued star power.
