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‘Lucy’ tops ‘Hercules’ with $44M at box office

By WTOP Staff

RYAN NAKASHIMA
AP Business Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luc Besson’s “Lucy” proved mind can overpower muscle, topping a remake of “Hercules” by director Brett Ratner at the box office on the weekend.

The Universal Pictures-released movie starring Scarlett Johansson as an accidental psychokinetic took in $44 million in North American movie theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

“Hercules,” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and produced by Paramount Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, brought down an estimated $29 million.

Universal’s president of domestic distribution, Nikki Rocco, said audiences were attracted to the original story about the main character gaining superhuman powers by using more and more of her brain.

People also wanted to see Johansson in an action role, something she’s done more frequently in movies like “The Island” (2005), “Iron Man 2” (2010), “The Avengers” (2012) and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014).

“The main reasons for coming to see the film were the story, and then Scarlett,” Rocco said. “She’s very diversified in what she does. Luc brought out the best of her in this movie.”

“Lucy,” rated R, opens internationally next week.

Meanwhile, Johnson’s draw with men, women and children helped PG-13-rated “Hercules” power into the No. 2 spot. In addition to its domestic haul, the film brought in $28.7 million from Russia, Australia, Britain, Malaysia and other countries in Asia.

Megan Colligan, Paramount’s head of domestic marketing and distribution, said Johnson once again proved his appeal as a global action star who fights bad guys with a “a wink and a smile.”

“He can be very serious and menacing and imposing, and he has this ability to melt it all away, which is why women show up for a movie like this,” Colligan said. “He has a lot of appeal for kids.”

Johnson himself drove over half of the buzz on social media platforms like Twitter, said Benjamin Carlson, president of tracking firm Fizziology.

“They weren’t talking about any of the co-stars or Brett Ratner, the director,” Carlson said. “It was all about ‘The Rock’ with this film.”

Despite the two films’ solid performances, the summer box office is still down by around one-fifth compared to last year, according to Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with Rentrak.

That’s partly because one would-be huge performer, “Fast & Furious 7” was postponed from its July 11 release due to the death of actor Paul Walker, he said. This summer also lacked some other blockbuster sequels like last year’s “Despicable Me 2.”

That puts a lot of pressure on “Guardians of the Galaxy,” a Marvel superhero film being released in the U.S. next week, to outperform, he said.

Even though it features lesser-known characters, including Chris Pratt as Peter Quill and Zoe Saldana as Gamora, it could still break out, Dergarabedian said.

“Any time you have a Marvel movie in the summer, it’s still a factor,” he said.

Another film that opened in wide release over the weekend was the Rob Reiner-directed romantic comedy “And So It Goes,” starring Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton, which collected an estimated $4.6 million, according to distributor Clarius Entertainment.

“Boyhood,” a Richard Linklater film that tracks the life of a boy from age 5 to 18, gained traction in its third week of release by distributor IFC Films with $1.7 million from just 107 locations.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. “Lucy,” $44 million.

2. “Hercules,” $29 million ($28.7 million).

3. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” $16.4 million ($54.4 million).

4. “Purge: Anarchy,” $9.9 million.

5. “Planes: Fire & Rescue,” $9.3 million.

6. “Sex Tape,” $6 million.

7. “Transformers: Age of Extinction,”$4.6 million ($37.5 million).

8. “And So It Goes,” $4.6 million.

9. “Tammy,” $3.4 million.

10. “A Most Wanted Man,” $2.7 million.

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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada), according to Rentrak:

1. “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” $54.4 million.

2. “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” $37.5 million.

3. “Continent,” $33 million.

4. “Hercules,” $28.7 million.

5. “How To Train Your Dragon 2,” $24 million.

6. “Kundo: Age of the Rampant,” $20 million.

7. “The House That Never Dies,” $8.7 million.

8. “Tiny Times 3.0,” $7.2 million.

9. “Step Up: All In,” $6.3 million.

10. “Maleficent,” $5.2 million.

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Universal and Focus are owned by NBCUniversal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by 21st Century Fox; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

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Follow AP Business Writer Ryan Nakashima on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/rnakashi

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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