‘Neighbors’ beats ‘Spider-Man 2’ in North America

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK - Raunchy adult comedy “Neighbors,” starring Seth Rogen as a family man who moves next to a frat house, kicked superhero movie “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” off the top spot on U.S. and Canadian box office charts over the weekend.

“Neighbors” earned $51.1 million in ticket sales to lead all movies from Friday through Sunday, according to estimates from tracking firm Rentrak.

“Spider-Man 2,” last weekend’s box office winner, took in $37.2 million to finish second, ahead of comedy “The Other Woman” with $9.3 million.

Rogen stars in “Neighbors” as a married former party guy transitioning into suburban parenthood with his wife, played by Rose Byrne.

Rogen’s character wages war with the neighboring frat house and its obnoxious president, played by “High School Musical” star Zac Efron.

“Neighbors” far exceeded pre-weekend forecasts for a debut of $35 million to $40 million. The movie cost $18 million to make, according to the Box Office Mojo website.

Its success follows other adult comedy hits such as “Bridesmaids,” “Ted” and last summer’s “This is the End,” also starring Rogen.

“This was the little engine that could,” said Nikki Rocco, president for domestic distribution at Universal Pictures, the unit of Comcast that distributed “Neighbors.”

The film got a boost by playing especially well with female and older audiences, she said.

The opening was among the best-ever for an R-rated comedy, according to Rentrak.

The take for “Spider-Man 2,” one of a string of big-budget superhero and monster movies Hollywood is releasing in the coming weeks, dropped nearly 60 percent from its opening weekend, bringing its domestic haul to $148 million.

The franchise’s previous film in 2012 reached $262 million, according to Boxofficemojo. The global total for the sequel stands at just over $550 million through Sunday, distributor Sony said.

The film stars Andrew Garfield as the web-slinging superhero and Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, the girlfriend of Spider-Man’s alter-ego Peter Parker, in a follow-up to a 2012 blockbuster.

Reuters