The new buddy/comedy, “Ride Along,” beat expectations and broke records over the long MLK holiday weekend. The four-day take for the “Ride Along” is an estimated $48.1 million — easily winning top spot at the box office — making it the new #1 film in the U.S. This is one of the strongest debuts ever for the MLK holiday weekend, the entire month of January, and for an African-American comedy.The movie was produced for a modest budget of $25 million.
In “Ride Along” Hart plays a high school security guard who must prove himself to Ice Cube’s police detective character, in order to get to marry the detective’s sister. Hart was very funny in the hit urban romantic comedy, “Think Like A Man,” and now with the success of “Ride Along” — he could be the next Eddie Murphy.
Last week’s number one flick, “Lone Survivor,” fell to second place with $26.4 million. Then, the new animated movie, “The Nut Job,” debuted in third with $25.2 million. Limping into fourth, the new action/thriller “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” with $18 million. This is the long-awaited sequel to “The Sum of All Fears” (2002) with Chris Pine taking over the Ryan character created by the late author, Tom Clancy.
Rounding out the top five, the animated blockbuster, “Frozen” with $16.2 million.
