The Bean Bag Boys, the self-appointed nickname for the trio of best friends in Universal’s “Good Boys,” are conquering much more than sixth grade.
They are also leading the domestic box office, exceeding expectations and collecting $21 million on opening weekend.
“Good Boys,” which screened at 3.204 North American theaters, is a much-needed win for original comedies, a genre that’s been struggling at the box office as of late.
The Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg-produced movie is the first R-rated funny film to open in first place in three years (since 2016’s “The Boss”), as well as the biggest opening for an original comedy this year.
The R-rated movie, carrying a $20 million price tag, also debuted overseas with $2.1 million for a global start of $23.1 million.
Universal also took second place with “Hobbs & Shaw.” The “Fast & Furious” spinoff earned $14.1 million during its third outing, boosting domestic ticket sales to $133 million.
This weekend’s four other new releases struggled to varying degrees.
Sony’s “The Angry Birds Movie 2,” which got a head start on the weekend by opening Tuesday, finished with $16.2 million over the six-day frame.
The animated sequel landed in fourth place on box office charts, collecting $10 million during the traditional weekend.
That haul is a steep drop from the first film, based on the once-popular phone app and video game, which scored $38 million in its inaugural weekend.
The follow-up has the benefit of better reviews and a smaller production budget compared to the original.
Entertainment Studio’s shark thriller “47 Meters Down: Uncaged” also lacked the same bite as its predecessor.
The movie opened at number six, earning $9 million from 2,853 locations. The original movie started small with $11 million but had a long run in theatres, ultimately ending with $44 million in North America.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. and New Line’s “Blinded by the Light” and Annapurna’s “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” both bombed, landing in 10th and 11th place.
