NORTH AMERICA: 'Hotel Transylvania 2' Scores Strong $57.5M in First Week After Leading Thursday with $1.79M; ‘The Intern’ Totals Healthy $24.9M in Seven Days After $1.54M Daily Take

By Daniel Garris

Sony's Hotel Transylvania 2 took in $1.79 million on Thursday to lead the daily box office for a seventh consecutive day. The Adam Sandler led 3D computer animated sequel from Sony Pictures Animation was down 9 percent from Wednesday. That represented one of the day's stronger daily percentage holds among wide releases, as holdovers in general took a clear hit from Fox's The Martian entering the marketplace on Thursday night. Hotel Transylvania 2 easily led the weekly box office with a stronger than expected seven-day start of $57.54 million. The film is running an impressive 16 percent ahead of the $49.66 million seven-day take of 2012's Hotel Transylvania.

Warner's The Intern rounded out its first week of release with a second place take of $1.54 million. The Nancy Meyers directed comedy starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway declined 10 percent from Wednesday's performance. The Intern placed in second for the week with a seven-day start of $24.90 million. The film is running towards the higher end of pre-release expectations and 11 percent ahead of the $22.43 million seven-day gross of 2013's Last Vegas.

Fellow Warner Bros. release Black Mass took in $0.864 million to remain in third. The Johnny Depp led crime drama was down a sharp 24 percent from Wednesday, as the film was especially affected by the arrival of The Martian. Black Mass placed in fifth for the week with $15.52 million. That represented a 50 percent decline from the film's opening week performance and brings the film's two-week total to a solid $46.62 million.

Everest held steady in fourth place with $0.751 million. The 3D adventure drama from Universal was down a sizable 19.5 percent from Wednesday. On the heels of its strong opening week performance, Everest placed in fourth this week with a lackluster $17.63 million. The film was up 76 percent from the previous frame and has grossed a modest $27.67 million through two weeks of release.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials rounded out the day's unchanged top five with $0.717 million. The young adult sequel from Fox fell 13 percent from Wednesday. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials placed in third for the week with $17.91 million. That represented a 52.5 percent slide from the film's opening week performance and brings the film's two-week total to a softer than expected $55.59 million.

Meanwhile, Sony's The Walk remained soft on Thursday with $181,895 from 448 IMAX and PLF locations. The 3D Robert Zemeckis directed film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt was down 24 percent from Wednesday. The Walk has grossed just $422,274 in two days, which is a troubling start for the film going forward. The film will hope to rebound over the weekend with the aid of strong critical reviews.

Lionsgate's Sicario wrapped up its platform run with $132,743 from 59 locations on Thursday. The critically acclaimed crime thriller starring Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin has grossed a very encouraging $3.00 million through two weeks of platform release. That is a strong sign for the film as it expands into wide release today.