Ender’s Game tops US box office in its opening weekend

Ender’s Game has topped the US box office chart in its opening weekend.

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, about an 86-year-old and his 8-year-old grandson, was shunted into second after hitting the number one spot last week.

Sci-Fi adventure Ender’s Game, a story about children forced to fight an enemy race, took $28 million according to estimates.

The film stars Harrison Ford as a commander who manipulates a young boy (Asa Butterfield) into leading a war.

Double Oscar nominee Viola Davis plays Harrison Ford’s second in command.

Based on the best-selling 1985 novel of the same name, Ender’s Game was in line with box office forecasts which predicted it would take between $25 million and $30 million in its debut weekend.

This was despite calls by some to boycott the film after the book’s author, Orson Scott Card, made some comments expressing his opposition to gay marriage.

But with the highly anticipated Thor: The Dark World opening next week, box office analyst Jeff Bock said: “It looks like Ender’s Game is one-and-done… (next weekend) there won’t be much of the box office pie left for Ender’s Game.”

Last Vegas, featuring an all-star cast including Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline, opened in third place with $16.5 million.

Children’s animation Free Birds, which features the voices of Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson and Amy Poehler, debuted in fourth spot with takings of $16.2 million.

Gravity, now in its fifth week, rounded out the top five.

US Box Office Top Five

1. Ender’s Game – $28 million

2. Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa – $20.5 million

3. Last Vegas – $16.5 million

4. Free Birds – $16.2 million

5. Gravity – $13.1 million

Source: Hollywood.com