’10 Cloverfield Lane’ opens well, but ‘Zootopia’ roars

NEW YORK (AP) – The J.J. Abrams-produced “10 Cloverfield Lane” capitalized on a mysterious marketing campaign to debut with a better-than-expected $25.2 million over the weekend, though the Disney animated hit “Zootopia” stayed on top with $50 million.

The second-straight No. 1 weekend came easily for “Zootopia,” which slid a mere 33 percent, according to studio estimates Sunday. The monster movie “10 Cloverfield Lane,” a so-called “spiritual successor” to 2008’s found-footage hit “Cloverfield,” also performed well, boosted by positive reviews.

But Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Brothers Grimsby” flopped with only $3.2 million, a career low debut at the box office for the British comedian by a wide margin. Perhaps sensing trouble, Sony Pictures had postponed the release date of the R-rated comedy numerous times.