The Angry Birds Movie soared to $39 million in its debut weekend, knocking Captain America: Civil War off its first-place perch, while new adult comedies Neighbors 2 and the The Nice Guys struggled to get their footing, according to comScore estimates Sunday.
Rovio Animation spearheaded the production of The Angry Birds Movie, which cost around $73 million to make, and it opened strong internationally last weekend. The film has already earned $150 million worldwide, according to estimates from Sony, which is distributing the film.
The Angry Birds Movie features the voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad and Danny McBride and has received mixed reviews from critics in its attempt to create a compelling story out of an app-based game. But audiences under 25 gave the film an A CinemaScore, which should help the film to perform well over Memorial Day weekend.
“It’s very difficult turning a video-game property into a successful movie,” said Josh Greenstein, Sony’s president of worldwide marketing and distribution. “To use a bad pun, we are flying high.”