Disney’s big-budget Western had a rough time alluring moviegoers on the Fourth of July as Universal’s “Despicable Me 2″ continued to break records.
Dismal Opening
“The Lone Ranger,” starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, earned a dismal $9.9 million at the box office Thursday, bringing its box office total to just $19.5 million in two days of release.
The $250 million “Lone Ranger,” with its five-day projection just shy of $47 million, will need a massive yet unlikely spark overseas if it wants to avoid becoming one of the biggest flops in Hollywood history.
This is Johnny Depp’s second big flop this year, after “Dark Shadows.”
Despicable Me
On the other end of the spectrum, “Despicable Me 2″ grossed a stellar $24.5 million for the second-best Fourth of July performance since “Transformers.” The Illumination Entertainment toon, which opened Wednesday, also scored the third-highest opening day for an animation movie behind “Toy Story 3″ and “Shrek the 3rd.”
Produced for only $76 million, “Despicable Me 2″ has accumulated $59.5 million domestically and over $134.5 million at the worldwide box office. The 3D pic, starring Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig, is expected to reach nearly $140 million by Sunday.
