Despite two new big releases this week, Despicable Me managed to hold onto the top spot at the US box office for a second week, taking another $44 million for an excellent total of $229 million so far.
However what analysts were really watching was whether Pacific Rim could beat Grown Ups 2. In the end it couldn’t, as Grown Ups 2 took $42.5 million, despite being reviled by the critics. That’s slightly ahead of the first Grown Ups film, and the second biggest start even for Adam Sandler (after The Longest Yard), which is good news for him after a series of disappointments.
Pacific Rim placed third with $38.3 million, which may be the highest opening ever for director Guillermo Del Toro, but certainly isn’t great for a movie that cost $200 million to produce. Thankfully though, it’s slightly more than some had expected after soft tracking for the robots vs. monsters movie. While it may eventually reach $100 million in the US, its only real hope of turning a profit is with a stellar international performance.
Take a look below for the US box office top 10 for the weekend of July 12th-14th.
| Rank | Title | Weekend Gross (millions) | Total Gross to date (millions) |
| 1 | Despicable Me 2 | $44.7 | $229.2 |
| 2 | Grown Ups 2 | $42.5 | $42.5 |
| 3 | Pacific Rim | $38.3 | $38.3 |
| 4 | The Heat | $14.0 | $112.3 |
| 5 | The Lone Ranger | $11.1 | $71.1 |
| 6 | Monsters University | $10.6 | $237.7 |
| 7 | World War Z | $9.4 | $177.0 |
| 8 | White House Down | $6.1 | $62.9 |
| 9 | Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain | $5.0 | $26.3 |
| 10 | Man Of Steel | $4.8 | $280.9 |
As most had expected, Monsters University stayed atop the US box office, taking another $46 million for a very healthy total so far of $171 million. Now all eyes will be seeing whether the film can stay strong once Despicable Me 2 is released on Friday.
