Newstalk Florida – N

A crowded weekend at the North American box office saw Sony’s Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 opening to a strong $35 million from 4,001 theaters, while the three other new offerings — Ron Howard’s Rush, Baggage Claim and Don Jon — turned in mixed performances.

Families fueled Cloudy 2’s debut, which marks the fourth-biggest September opening of all time after fellow Sony title Hotel Transylvania, which rolled out on the same weekend a year ago, raking in $42.5 million; Insidious: Chapter 2, which opened to $40.3 million two weeks ago; and Sweet Home Alabama ($35.6 million).

Cloudy 2 is a needed boost for Sony after a dismal summer and opens just days after Sony showed its global head of marketing Marc Weinstock the door. The $78 million sequel, earning an A- CinemaScore, opens four years after the first Cloudy turned into a surprise hit for Sony Pictures Animation, debuting to $30.3 million in late September on its way to grossing $245.8 million worldwide.

Source: Hollywood Reporter