By Dustin Rowles | Box Office Round-Ups | June 30, 2013 |
By Dustin Rowles | Box Office Round-Ups | June 30, 2013 |
Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock’s very funny The Heat put up $40 million over the weekend, just short of the $46 million grossed by the number one film, Monsters University ($171 million cumulative). The $40 million is all the more impressive given the relatively small $40 million price tag (compared to the $150 million cost of the number four film, White House Down, which opened with only $25 million, behind World War Z — $30 million, $123 million cumulative). The Heat is the only studio film of the summer with female leads, and it makes you wonder why? One might have suspected that the success of The Bridesmaids and even Twilight would’ve convinced studios that female-led movies can be profitable (and Pitch Perfect might have reinforced the point), but it feels like — regardless of the success of good female led films — studios are convinced that each one was a fluke.
Hopefully, The Heat will put an end to that, but more likely, studios will see in it and The Bridesmaids success that it’s not female-led movies driving the box-office, but Melissa McCarthy (who also had a huge hit with Identity Theif earlier this year).
That’s too bad, but either way, it does give us an excuse to look back at the McCarthy’s film and television career, and the slow rise she’s had from farmer’s daughter and Jenny McCarthy’s cousin to major motion picture star at the age of 42.
The Heat
Identity Thief
Bridesmaids
Saturday Night Live
Mike & Molly
Gilmore Girls
Samantha Who?
Jenny
This is 40
The Back-Up Plan
The Life of David Gale
White Oleander
Pumpkin
Drowing Mona
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Charlie’s Angels