UPDATED MARCH 2: Will Smith’s return to action in Warner Bros’ caper opposite Margot Robbie helped the film opened top in North America on a confirmed $18.7m over a slow post-Oscar session.

The film took approximately $2.1m on 351 IMAX screens.

Last weekend’s champion Fifty Shades Of Grey dropped three places to number four on $10.6m via Universal-Focus for $147.4m in its third weekend.

Relativity’s horror film The Lazarus Effect with Olivia Wilde arrived at number five on $10.2m. The film marks a radical departure for director David Gelb, whose previous effort was the acclaimed 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams Of Sushi.

Fox’s Kingsman: The Secret Service stayed put at number two on $11.9m for $85.8m in its third weekend, while Paramount’s SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water held firm in third place on $10.8m for $139.9m after four sessions.

CBS Films’ The DUFF slipped three places to number eight in its session session via Lionsgate, adding $6.9m for $19.8m.

Oscar winner Julianne Moore was prevalent at the weekend as SPC expanded Still Alice by 553 theatres to 1,318 in the seventh weekend to boost the running total by $2.7m to $11.9m.

Moore-starrer Maps To The Stars opened through Focus Features on $143,442 from 66 venues.

The Pantelion Films comedy A La Mala opened at number 15 on $1.4m from 384 venues. Roadside Attractions opened Yann Demange’s IRA thriller ’71 starring Jack O’Connell on $55,761 from four sites for a $13,940 average.

Overall box office for the top 12 trailed last weekend by 12.9% and the comparable session in 2014 by 11%. The Oscars took place on March 2 last year.

This week’s wide releases are: Columbia Pictures’ sci-fi Chappie from director Neill Blomkamp and starring Hugh Jackman and featuring the voice of Sharlto Copley; and Fox’s comedy Unfinished Business with Vince Vaughn, Sienna Miller and Dave Franco.

Confirmed top 10 North America Feb 27-Mar 1 2015
Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date

1 (-) Focus (Warner Bros) WBPI $18.7m –

2 (2) Kingsman: The Secret Service (Fox) Fox International $11.9m $85.8m

3 (3) The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water (Paramount) PPI $10.8m $139.9m

4 (1) Fifty Shades Of Grey (Universal-Focus) UPI $10.6m $147.4m

5 (-) The Lazarus Effect (Relativity) Lionsgate International $10.2m –

6 (4) McFarland, USA (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $7.8m $22m

7 (6) American Sniper (Warner Bros) WBPI $7.4m $330.8m

8 (5) The DUFF (CBS/Lionsgate) Lionsgate International $6.9m $19.8m

9 (11) Still Alice (SPC) Memento Films International $2.7m $11.9m

10 (7) Hot Tube Time Machine 2 (Paramount) PPI $2.4m $10.3m

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