NORTH AMERICA: ‘The Maze Runner’ Leads on Monday with $1.87M

Fox’s The Maze Runner took in $1.87 million on Monday to lead the daily box office for a fourth consecutive day. The modestly budgeted young adult adaptation was down 76 percent from Sunday, which is an early sign of the film having a significant family audience. The Maze Runner has grossed $34.38 million in four days, which represents a strong start, especially with the film’s cost in mind. The film is running in line with expectations and 19 percent ahead of the $28.89 million four-day start of last year’s Ender’s Game. Fox has already scheduled The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials for release on September 18, 2015.

A Walk Among the Tombstones placed in second with $0.96 million. Universal’s modestly budgeted action thriller starring Liam Neeson was down a solid 67 percent from Sunday’s performance. However, in the bigger picture A Walk Among the Tombstones is still performing a bit below pre-release expectations (and soft by Neeson’s recent box office standards) with a four-day start of $13.72 million. That places the film 35 percent behind the $21.12 million four-day take of 2012’s The Grey.

Warner’s This Is Where I Leave You placed in third with $0.86 million. The modestly budgeted comedy starring Jason Bateman and Tina Fey fell 69 percent from Sunday. This Is Where I Leave You has grossed $12.42 million in four days. That is towards the lower end of the film’s modest expectations and places the film 18 percent behind the $15.16 million four-day start of 2011’s The Change-Up.

Sony’s No Good Deed took fourth place with $0.59 million. The low-budget thriller starring Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson was down 73 percent from Sunday and down a very sharp 63 percent from last Monday. No Good Deed surpassed the $40 million mark yesterday and has grossed a healthy $40.29 million in eleven days of release.

Guardians of the Galaxy rounded out Monday’s top five with $0.36 million. Disney’s blockbuster sci-fi superhero film fell 74 percent from Sunday and 37 percent from last Monday. Guardians of the Galaxy has grossed $314.09 million in 53 days and is now just $4.32 million away from reaching the $318.41 million final unadjusted domestic gross of 2008’s Iron Man.

Dolphin Tale 2 followed in sixth with $0.31 million. Warner’s family film sequel was down a steep 88 percent from Sunday and down 40 percent from last Monday. Dolphin Tale 2 has grossed $27.24 million in eleven days. That is on the low end of expectations and places the film 28 percent behind the $37.79 million eleven-day take of 2011’s Dolphin Tale.