Universal’s Despicable Me 2 led a strong weekend and stayed top in its second session as an estimated $44.8m beat Sony’s number two arrival Grown Ups 2 on $42.5m and a relatively mediocre $38.3m haul by Warner Bros’ Pacific Rim in third place.

Unsurprisingly, box office for the top 12 fell 13.8% against last weekend’s monster session although it gained approximately 35% on the same period in 2012.

Buena Vista’s The Lone Ranger dropped 62% in its second weekend to rank fifth on $71.1m, far below where Disney executives would have expected it to be by this stage. The worldwide mark is $119.1m.

Despicable Me 2 stands at $229.2m in North America and $472.4m worldwide, capping a fine week that saw the official confirmation of the co-financing and co-production deal with Legendary Entertainment, although the performance of Pacific Rim, which Thomas Tull’s company financed for the most part, is sure to be tracked closely.

In more good news for Universal executives Fast & Furious 6 surged past the $700m worldwide mark to reach $704.2m.

Sony’s comedy sequel Grown Ups 2 starring Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade and Salma Hayek opened in second place on a terrific $42.5m.

Warner Bros’ Pacific Rim, which according to reports came in at a budget of $190m, opened in third place on $38.3m. The robots vs monsters mash-up from Guillermo del Toro stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba and Ron Perlman and debuted strongly outside North America on an estimated $53m from 38 markets. The early worldwide tally stands at $91.3m. Pacific Rim is forecast to bring in $7.3m on IMAX.

Fox’s comedy The Heat in fourth place starring the potent combination of Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy crossed $100m in its third weekend, adding $14m for $112.4m. Paramount’s World War Z at number seven stands at an excellent $177.1m after the fourth weekend and approximately $423.1m worldwide

The Weinstein Company opened its Sundance acquisition and potential awards season contender Fruitvale Station on $377,000 from seven venues for an excellent $53,857 average. The film’s arrival seemed especially timely given that it happened to open at the conclusion of the controversial Trayvon Martin case in the US.

Reliance Big Pictures opened Bhaag Milkha Bhaag in 140 sites for $670,000. IFC launched its Sundance acquisition Crystal Fairy on $24,000 from four while Millennium Entertainment debuted the Robert DeNiro and John Travolta thriller Killing Season on $25,600 from 12.

Next weekend’s wide releases are Universal’s action-adventure R.I.P.D. starring Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges, Lionsgate-Summit’s action comedy Red 2 led by Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker and Helen Mirren, and Warner Bros’ horror The Conjuring with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga.

Estimated Top 10 North America Jul 12-14 2013
Film (Dist) / Est wkd gross / Est total to date
1 (1) Despicable Me 2 (Universal) UPI $44.8m $229.2m
2 (-) Grown Ups 2 (Sony) SPRI $42.5m –
3 (-) Pacific Rim (Warner Bros) WBPI $38.3m –
4 (3) The Heat (Fox) Fox Int’l $14m $112.4m
5 (2) The Lone Ranger (Buena Vista) WDSMPI $11.1m $71.1m
6 (4) Monsters University (Buena Vista/Pixar) WDSMPI $10.6m $237.8m
7 (5) World War Z (Paramount) PPI $9.4m $177.1m
8 (6) White House Down (Sony) SPRI $6.2m $62.9m
9 (8) Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain (Lionsgate-Summit) Lionsgate Int’l $5m $26.4m
10 (7) Man Of Steel (Warner Bros) WBPI $4.8m $280.9m

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