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UPDATE, Monday: Final actuals have been logged below for 20th Century Fox, Universal, Warner Bros., and the Weinstein Co. HIGHLIGHTS: Jupiter Ascending (WB) rises in China; Kingsman: The Secret Service (FOX) passes $150M; It’s a tie for Fifty Shades (UNI) and Focus (WB); Big Hero 6 (DIS) & American Sniper (WB) pass…

In the wake of Fifty Shades Of Grey and Focus, the term R-rated is becoming an even bigger force at the multiplex. Two more titles with restrictive ratings, Sony/Media Rights Capital’s sci-fi robot film Chappie and 20th Century Fox/New Regency’s Vince Vaughn comedy Unfinished Business, are opening with the box office…

UPDATE, MONDAY, 8PM: Updates in the overseas B.O. figures below have been made for Warner Bros., Fox International, Disney, the Weinstein Co. and Universal.  The biggest change among all of them is that Warner Bros.’ Will Smith crime romance Focus bested its Sunday estimate of $12.2M abroad with $13.95M — welcome…

Report includes Monday updates Fifty Shades Of Grey‘s grasp on international audiences remains tight with the erotic love story coming in No. 1 for the 3rd consecutive weekend, per Universal and industry estimates. Adding $34.3M in 59 territorires, the bondage bonanza dropped about 43% and now has a total of $337M in…

UPDATE, MONDAY ACTUALS 3:41 PM: Most films in the top 10, not just Warner Bros.’ Focus, are down from their Sunday AM estimates in their actuals today. Only two films bested their Sunday estimates: 20th Century Fox’s Kingsman: The Secret Service with $11.88M (Sunday estimate was $11.75M) with a cume through three…

UPDATE, 3:24 PM: Industry sources see Will Smith’s R-rated romance noir Focus doing between $7.5M-$8M tonight, putting the Warner Bros. film with a FSS between $21M-23.6M at 3,323 venues in the top spot.  This is according to mid-day estimates. Focus’ Friday includes Thursday previews of $839K…

Will Smith is set to push Fifth Shades Of Grey out of the top spot at the weekend box office. The star’s latest Warner Bros. film Focus, about a con man whose life is taken for a ride by a femme fatale played by Margot Robbie, is looking to gross $20M-$25M this weekend at 3,323 theaters. Thursday previews will hit…

Focus is about a veteran con man played by Will Smith, who runs into a former protege, now femme fatale, played dexterously by Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street), while he’s busy trying to pull a new game. But the questions that keep coming up in this terrific little caper film, as I say in the video review above…

Universal and Focus Features’ Fifty Shades of Grey kicked off its North American release at 2,830 engagements last night, racking up the second-highest Thursday night preview ever with $8.6M. The record holder for an R-rated preview belongs to Warner Bros. The Hangover 2, which made $10.4M in midnight previews before…

Here’s the latest look at Focus, the thriller that stars Will Smith as master con artist Nicky, who becomes romantically involved with novice con artist Jess (Margot Robbie). As he’s teaching her the tricks of the trade, she gets a little too close for comfort, and he abruptly breaks it off. But she resurfaces three…

“I can convince anyone of anything,” conman Nicky says. Will Smith stars as said grifter, who brings rookie Margot Robbie into his crooked group — an “intern,” he calls her. They get close then abruptly split — until a fateful meeting years later amid Nicky’s Big Score. Can the ultimate confidence man keep his focus…

UPDATE, 4:09 PM: Warner Bros has filled another slot in its early 2015 release date calendar, saying today it will drop the Liam Neeson-starrer Run All Night, the Brad Ingelsby actioner, on February 6, 2015. Jaume Collet-Serra is directing in a reteam with Neeson who combined to make Unknown and the upcoming…