Disney Leads 2014 Movie Box Office Sweepstakes

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Disney Leads 2014 Movie Box Office Sweepstakes
By Paul Ausick August 13, 2014 1:43 pm EDT

Of the top 10 grossing movies so far this year, the Buena Vista Studio owned by The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) claims three titles, while Time Warner Inc.’s (NYSE: TWX) Warner Bros., Sony Corp. (NYSE: SNE), and Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. (NASDAQ: FOXA) each has two titles. Viacom Inc.’s (NASDAQ: VIAB) Paramount has one.

Buena Vista’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which was released on April 4, is the top-grossing movie so far in 2014 with slightly less than $260 million in gross ticket sales. Warner Bros.’ “The Lego Movie,” released in the first week of February, is close behind at nearly $258 million. The other eight movies in the ranking are all summer movies that have only been released after May 1.

Number three on the list is “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” with about $243 million in gross receipts since its release on June 27. Buena Vista’s “Maleficent” has brought in more than $236 million since its late May release, and number five, “X-Men: Days of Future Past” has taken in more than $232 million since its May 23 release.

The other five top grossing films are Sony’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” ($203 million), Warner Bros.’ “Godzilla 2014 ($200 million), Fox’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” ($198 million), Sony’s “22 Jump Street” ($190 million), and Buena Vista’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” with $182 million in just two weeks.

The film with the highest gross box office receipts on its opening weekend is “Transformers: Age of Extinction” with slightly more than $100 million. The second-highest opening weekend went to “Guardians of the Galaxy” with $94 million, and “Godzilla” claimed third place with $93 million on its opening weekend.

None of the top 10 is likely to be dislodged by this week’s releases, which are topped by the third installment of “The Expendables” franchise from Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (NYSE: LGF).

“Guardians of the Galaxy” is on track to be 2014’s highest grossing summer release.