Ride Along Still Riding High At US Box Office

There’s good reason for Aaron Eckhart to look unhappy in all the pictures from I, Frankenstein, and it’s not just an existential crisis. After a critical drubbing, the new action monster movie failed to capture American audiences’ attention, leaving the way clear for Ice Cube and Kevin Hart to stay at the top of the box office with Ride Along.

The cop comedy – in which Cube’s surly, hard-nosed ‘tec takes his loud-mouthed, police-wannabe future brother-in-law along on a day’s duty – continued its winning streak after last week’s record breaking Martin Luther King Day weekend opening. Ride Along took in $21.1 million, with $75.4 million earned to date, stealthily adding Hart in particular to a list of performers who can emphatically open a film. It’s no surprise that he’s attached to all manner of projects going forward, as this proves he's leading man material after several films in support.

Peter Berg’s Lone Survivor also held its place in second, adding $12.6 million and pushing the film slowly towards $100 million in the US, which it should cross by next weekend. The Nut Job, which nabbed the best opening for an indie toon and has already spawned a sequel due in 2016, held on to third and added $12.3 million to its coffers.

Frozen, meanwhile, actually leapt over Jack Ryan to move back up one place, most likely thanks to its awards nominations, wins and soundtrack attention. Disney’s big new success took $9 million in fourth, leaving the faltering Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit in fifth with $8.8 million.

Then we come to I, Frankenstein, which Lionsgate had been hoping might capture some of the Underworld crowd, given that it comes from co-writer Kevin Grevioux’s comic book (adapted by director Stuart Beattie) and features a very similar monster clash between supernatural forces. Oh, and Eckhart as the world’s hunkiest version of Frankenstein’s monster. Despite all that, it flopped badly, landing in sixth place with $8.2 million. Perhaps they should’ve just called it I, Frankenranken…

American Hustle continued to ride its awards buzz, taking home $7.1 in seventh, while August: Osage County hung around at eighth with $5 million. The Wolf Of Wall Street was ninth ($5 million) and Devil’s Due continued its slide down the charts after that weak opening, hitting 10th on its way out of the top 10 with $2.7 million.