LOS ANGELES (AFP) - The comedy “Identity Thief” topped the box office in the United States and Canada in its third week, bouncing back on Oscars weekend after slipping from the top spot, figures showed.
The buddy flick, starring Jason Bateman from the TV series “Arrested Development” and “Bridesmaids” star Melissa McCarthy, pulled in $14 million from Friday to Sunday, according to tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.
“Identity Thief,” which opened in the number one spot three weeks ago, took the top position over the action film “Snitch” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which opened in second place and pulled in $13.2 million.
Third was the animated kids movie “Escape from Planet Earth,” which earned $10.7 million, followed by the romantic drama “Safe Haven” by Sweden’s Lasse Hallstrom, which made $10.5 million.
The fifth spot, down from number one last week, was “A Good Day to Die Hard,” the latest “Die Hard” action film with Bruce Willis reprising his role as supercop John McClane. The movie, panned by reviewers, earned $10.2 million.
Opening in sixth place was science fiction horror movie “Dark Skies” with $8.2 million, followed by Oscar-nominated romantic comedy “Silver Linings Playbook,” starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, with $5.8 million. Lawrence, of “Hunger Games” fame, won the best actress Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards on Sunday. “Silver Linings” has pulled in more than $107 million since it opened 15 weeks ago. In eighth place was the romantic zombie comedy “Warm Bodies,” inspired by Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” which earned $4.8 million, while “Beautiful Creatures,” a supernatural fantasy flick featuring British Oscar-winner Emma Thompson, was in ninth with $3.6 million in its second week on the big screen.
Rounding out the top ten was director Steven Soderbergh’s thriller “Side Effects,” starring Jude Law and Rooney Mara, which earned $3.4 million.