The R-rated comedy 22 Jump Street, starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, has upset this weekend’s expected box office winner How to Train Your Dragon 2.
Most experts expected How to Train Your Dragon 2 to fly high at the box office this weekend after the first film’s popularity, but it fell behind 22 Jump Street with a solid domestic total of $54 million.
These are still estimates at the time of this article, so it’s possible that they could switch places if Sunday’s estimates are adjusted, but the numbers look solid.
It seems as though the R-rated comedy duo starring Hill and Tatum has surprised everyone, and if the numbers hold true, it would end up being the biggest opening of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum’s careers.
Of course it’s Jonah Hill who really wins this weekend, considering the actor is in both of these incredibly well received and financially successful films.
Hill plays Snotlout in HTTYD 2 and plays officer Schmidt in 22 Jump Street, a film he co-wrote after 21 Jump Street pulled in $200 million worldwide on a $42 million dollar budget in 2012.
Related: Read Hypable’s 22 Jump Street review
How to Train Your Dragon 2 has received incredible reviews, though, despite its second place box office opening, snagging a 92% on RottenTomatoes, with 22 Jump Street coming in at a very respectable 83%.
Last weekend’s The Fault in Our Stars and Edge of Tomorrow would both fall under the new smash hits, with TFIOS pulling in $15.7 million and Edge continuing to disappoint with $16.5 million.
Both films also garnered favorable reviews, and while Tom Cruise’s sci-fi film is seeing poor numbers in the U.S., it’s doing incredibly well overseas with a total of $111 million compared to its $56 million stateside.
Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent continues to impress, coming in third this weekend and adding $19 million to its worldwide total, which is now at $436 million. Even with its poor reviews, it’s still pulling in solid numbers at the box office.
Related: Read Hypable’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 review
Despite How to Train Your Dragon 2 losing out to 22 Jump Street this weekend, it’s expected that the the animated feature will have much longer legs than the R-rated comedy, so fans needn’t worry about Dreamworks’ plans to make a third and possibly fourth film.
Let us know which film you enjoyed most and your thoughts about 22 Jump Street having such a stellar opening during a crowded weekend at the theater.
Editor’s Note: Final numbers saw 22 Jump Street taking in $57 million, with How to Train Your Dragon 2 coming in at $49.5 million in domestic totals.