Universal has had a great 2014 so far, with five out of eight films reaching the No. 1 spot at the North American box office including Lone Survivor, Ride Along, Non-Stop, Neighbors and Lucy – Ride Along achieving that title three times.
Neighbors kicked off Universal’s summer and the film has gone on to gross more than $256.9 million worldwide to date. Blumhouse Productions microbudgeted horror thriller The Purge: Anarchy, opening to $29.8 million at the domestic box office, more than triple the film’s production budget. Lucy also had an outstanding No. 1 opening in North America this past weekend, grossing almost $44 million, far beyond expectations. The film solidifies Scarlett Johansson’s place as a bonafide action star, with Lucy becoming her highest opening in a lead role. The film is also Luc Besson’s biggest opening as a director. Lucy begins its international rollout this week.
Next up for the studio in August is Get On Up starring 42’s Chadwick Boseman. The biopic from producers Mick Jagger and Brian Grazer is based on the incredible life story of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown and is directed by The Help’s Tate Taylor. Closing out the summer will be the first film from Universal’s partnership with Legendary Pictures: the psychological thriller As Above/So Below that debuts in North America on August 29.