Soft around the edges … Will Smith and Margot Robbie in Focus. — Soft around the edges … Will Smith and Margot Robbie in Focus

Out of Focus: low turnout to Will Smith movie – but film still tops US box office

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Fifty Shades ousted from top spot by under-performing crime caper, Kingsman continues its reign at No 2 while American Sniper and Still Alice enjoy post-Oscars bounce

Will Smith vehicle Focus knocked Fifty Shades of Grey off the top of the US box office chart this weekend despite a disappointing opening bow of just $19.1m.

Focus – fantastically boring caper with Will Smith on insufferably smug form

The romantic heist tale, which co-stars The Wolf of Wall Street’s Margot Robbie, delivered one of Smith’s lowest-ever tentpole openings. The Independence Day star is renowned for his box office clout, or at least had been until sci-fi passion project After Earth became his first major film not to open at No 1 for two decades in May 2013.

Previous chart-topper Fifty Shades of Grey fell to fourth place with another $10.9m in its third week of release, but still looks on course to pass the $500m mark at the global box office this week. Sam Taylor-Johnson’s controversial erotic romance has made $147.7m in north America and $486m worldwide.

Matthew Vaughn spy caper Kingsman held up well to retain second spot with another $11.7m in its third week for a total of $85.6m. Offbeat children’s animated sequel The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water landed in third with $11.2m in its fourth week for a total of $140.3m.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water first look review – superhero slugfest drags a good sequel down

The only other new film to make the top 10 was low-budget horror The Lazarus Effect, which centres on a group of scientists who discover a method for raising the dead. Starring Olivia Wilde, Mark Duplass, Evan Peters and Donald Glover, David Gelb’s $3.3m film secured fifth place with a bow of $10.6m.

Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood war biopic American Sniper enjoyed a post-Oscars bounce despite failing to pick up prizes in any of the major categories last month. The blockbuster drama took another $7.7m in seventh place in its 10th week on wide release. Eastwood’s film now has a gargantuan $331.1m in north America and $470.2m worldwide.

US top 10 – 27 February to 1 March

1. Focus: $19.1m – new

2. Kingsman: The Secret Service: $11.7m, $85.6m

3. The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water: $11.2m, $140.3m

4. Fifty Shades of Grey: $10.9m, $147.7m

5. The Lazarus Effect: $10.6m – new

6. McFarland, USA: $7.79m, $21.9m

7. American Sniper: $7.70m, $331.1m

8. The Duff: $7.1m, $20m

9. Still Alice: $2.6m, $11.9m

10. Hot Tub Time Machine 2: $2.4m, $10.2m

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Out of Focus: low turnout to Will Smith movie – but film still tops US box office

US top 10 – 27 February to 1 March

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