“Epic” Box Office Plummets in U.S., Slow Abroad

In its second weekend at the U.S. box office, Blue Sky’s Epic plummeted a troubling 50.4% for a take of $16.6 million and a fifth-place finish. The week two drop is far more substantial than other recent animated originals like Wreck-It Ralph (-32.7%), Hotel Transylvania (-36.4%), and The Croods (-38.8%). Even the DreamWorks dud Rise of the Guardians only dropped 43.7% in its second frame. In the States, Epic has grossed $65.1 million and could potentially end up as Blue Sky’s lowest-grossing domestic feature.

The LA Times notes that Epic has also struggled to connect with overseas audiences. Craig Dehmel, a Fox v-p, suggested to the Times that, “Epic is unique and a more complex story than much of the typical animated fare and that can sometimes make it more challenging for international audiences to discover.” The film expanded into 57 international territories last weekend, but managed to pull in just $28.5 million for a fourth-place finish. Its foreign total is now $86.3 million.