APR 18-20 BOX OFFICE REPORT: HEAVEN IS FOR REAL IS FOR REAL

Johnny Depp's latest $100 million-vehicle was his latest major flop at the US box office at the weekend, while Heaven is for Real became the latest Christian hit to break out. After making over $7 million on Wednesday and Thursday, Heaven rallied to an incredible $22.5 million, enough for second place over a close third, Rio 2 with $22.2 million. The animated sequel doesn't face any similar competition until How to Train Your Dragon 2 in two months, but not even that could convince families to turn out for the film, which dropped 44% on last weekend's takings, compared to the first Rio's 33% second weekend decline. But even that was over twice as much as Transcendence, sure to become known as one of the year's biggest bombs - it took in a measly $10.9 million. Critical and public reactions have been pretty toxic for the sci-fi film, which ought to mean that it won't pass $30 million domestic, on a $100 million budget no less. All of this means that Captain America: The Winter Soldier did what few expected it to do, and what even fewer might have expected had they seen its figures - it held the box office top spot for its first three weekends. $25.6 million for the superhero sequel was off just 38% on last weekend, and the film will easily surpass Thor: The Dark World's final tally in the next few days. Spoof sequel A Haunted House 2 made a small fraction in its opening of what its surprise hit predecessor pulled in: $8.8 million compared to $18.1. That film didn't hold well, though, and neither should this. Disneynature's Bears had the lowest opening yet for the studio, with just $4.8 million (after having taken a year off). It was one of six films within $1.1 million of each other, fighting it out for fifth place, with Draft Day winning out, and God's Not Dead bringing up the rear. Fading Gigolo pulled in an impressive $36,160 per-theatre - the highest of the weekend - for a strong 27th place start. Overall, declines for holdovers were pretty low over the Easter weekend.

Top 10

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier ($25,587,056)
2. Heaven is for Real ($22,522,221)
3. Rio 2 ($22,159,742)
4. Transcendence ($10,886,386)
5. A Haunted House 2 ($8,843,875)
6. Draft Day ($5,713,076)
7. Divergent ($5,611,624)
8. Oculus ($5,156,880)
9. Noah ($5,003,303)
10. Bears ($4,776,267)