The Secret Life of Pets Opens to a Big $103.2 Million

Illumination Entertainment’s The Secret Life of Pets, the fifth fully-animated feature-film collaboration with Universal Pictures, has become the biggest opening ever for an original film, animated or otherwise, supplanting last year’s Inside Out ($90.4 million). The Secret Life of Pets opened in first place domestically with an estimated $103.2 million from 4,370 theaters, a strong average of $23,609 per theater. Internationally, the film added $7.8 million for an overseas total of $42.6 million and a global total of $145.8 million. The movie has 57 more territories to open in over the next three months.

Made for $75 million, the film’s historic performance has already made it Universal’s highest-grossing title of 2016 and Illumination’s second-highest opening ever, behind last year’s Minions. The Secret Life of Pets, which received an A- CinemaScore from audiences, was directed by Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2) and co-directed by Yarrow Cheney and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio and Brian Lynch. The movie stars Louis C.K., Eric Stonestreet and Kevin Hart in their animated feature-film debuts, with co-stars Jenny Slate, Ellie Kemper, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Hannibal Buress, Bobby Moynihan, Steve Coogan and Albert Brooks.

Remaining in second place domestically was Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Legend of Tarzan. The David Yates-directed film added $20.6 million for a North American total of $81.4 million after two weeks. Internationally, The Legend of Tarzan grossed $27 million from 46 markets to push its total to $54 million and worldwide sum to $135.4 million. Made for $180 million, the film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz and Djimon Hounsou. The film next opens in Italy on July 14, China on July 19, Brazil on July 21, and Spain on July 22.

After topping the box office for three straight weekends, Disney•Pixar‘s Finding Dory dropped to third place with $20.4 million. Finding Dory has now crossed the $400 million mark domestically after four weeks and with an estimated $423 million, it stands as the #2 animated release of all-time. The movie has also surpassed Captain America: Civil War ($406.2 million) to become the top film of 2016 at the domestic box office. Finding Dory is the 10th Disney release to surpass $400 million domestically out of 24 films in industry history. Internationally, the film added $29.7 million for an overseas total of $220.2 million. Finding Dory reached the $600 million mark globally on July 8 and has taken in an estimated $643 million through the weekend. Finding Nemo helmer Andrew Stanton returned to the directors chair for the animated film, which features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Michael Sheen, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton.

This weekend, The Walt Disney Studios reached the $5 billion threshold at the global box office in industry record time. This is the second consecutive year Disney has crossed the $5 billion mark, doing so last year for the first time on December 20. Disney crossed $3 billion internationally on July 6 and is nearing $2 billion domestically. Year-to-date estimates through July 10 are $1.97 billion domestic and $3.05 billion international for a global total of $5.02 billion.

20th Century Fox’s R-rated comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates debuted in fourth place with an estimated $16.6 million from 2,982 theaters, an average of $5,567 per theater. Internationally, “Mike and Dave” took in $3.6 million from 19 markets for a global weekend of $20.2 million. Directed by Jake Szymanski and starring Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, Adam DeVine, and Aubrey Plaza, the film received a B CinemaScore and cost about $33 million to make.

Rounding out the top five in North America was Universal and Blumhouse’s The Purge: Election Year, which added $11.7 million for a two-week total of $58.1 million. Overseas, the film added $2.2 million and it has earned $60.3 million globally. Made for just $10 million, the James DeMonaco-directed film stars Frank Grillo and Elizabeth Mitchell.

Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart action-comedy Central Intelligence held on to the sixth spot with $8.2 million, for a four-week total of $108.4 million. The film has earned $47.9 million internationally and the worldwide sum is up to $158.2 million. Distributed by Warner Bros. domestically and Universal Pictures internationally, Central Intelligence cost $50 million to make.

Dropping another two spots to seventh place, Roland Emmerich’s Independence Day: Resurgence (20th Century Fox) earned $7.7 million its third weekend and has grossed $91.5 million domestically. Internationally, the film has earned $214.3 million for a worldwide total of $305.8 million. Starring Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Brent Spiner, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Maika Monroe and Jessie Usher, the sequel cost $165 million to produce. The original 1996 release grossed $306.2 million domestically and $511.2 million internationally for a worldwide total of $817.4 million.

Steven Spielberg’s The BFG dropped to eighth place its second weekend with $7.6 million domestically and a total of $38.7 million. Starring Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall and Bill Hader, the Disney release earned $4.6 million overseas for an international total of $11.9 million. Costing $140 million to make, the Roald Dahl adaptation has earned $50.6 million worldwide.

Blake Lively’s shark thriller The Shallows (Sony) added $4.8 million its third weekend in the ninth spot and has earned $45.8 million. The film cost just $17 million to make.

In other international box office news, Ice Age: Collision Course added $32.2 million from 8,817 screens in 25 markets to push its total to $57.7 million. The animated sequel doesn’t open in North America until July 22.