It's looking good for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Two weeks in and the record April release has soared to within $17m of the final tally of its 2011 predecessor. A respectable 56% drop allowed Marvel's golden boy to add an estimated $41.4m to reach $159m (£95m). There was a sense with the original Captain America that the movie lacked the firepower and sassiness of its Marvel stablemates, but the sequel is on course for a $200m-plus finish that should see it rank above both Thor movies. The Avengers, Iron Man and The Amazing Spider-Man remain the jewels in the crown but Captain America is shining bright.
Rio 2 delivers so-so result
There's no shame in coming in at No 2 behind Captain America, but what will concern Fox executives is that the $39m (£23m) opening weekend for Rio 2 fell marginally short of that of the 2011 original – even when unadjusted for inflation. Rio ended up on $143.6m (£86m) and at this rate, with family-audience vacuum cleaner The Amazing Spider-Man 2 only two weeks away, the sequel may struggle to reach even that amount. It's shaping up to be an international smash, however, and has already raced to $125m (£75m) outside the US.
Whither Kevin Costner?
Kevin Costner has never been box-office gold dust, but there's something about the $9.8m No 4 debut of Draft Day that suggests his leading man days are numbered. It was always going to be tough to open a movie – even one about American football – against the second session of Captain America 2 and the Rio 2 debut, but this was weak. Even in his 1988-2000 prime, Costner never really brought in a big opening weekend and with the exception of Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The Bodyguard, he's never starred in a movie that has grossed more than $100m. But now it feels like it's time to hang up his leading-man spurs. That's not to say his skills won't be enjoyed for years to come in supporting roles – he was fine in Man of Steel – or behind the camera.
Wes Anderson chasing down Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel is the gift that keeps on giving. Tenenbaums resulted in the director's biggest hit to date in the US on $52.4m and then there was $45.5m for Moonrise Kingdom only two years ago. So long as Fox Searchlight keeps Budapest in theatres it should pass Moonrise and could even overtake Tenenbaums, making it Anderson's highest-grossing movie to date.
Railway Man chugs into view
What a difference seven months make. Back at the Toronto international film festival last autumn, Jonathan Teplitzky's The Railway Man – a drama based on the experiences of second world war PoW Eric Lomax – was touted as a possible Oscar winner. Then it premiered and everyone realised it wasn't. The Weinstein Company has it and the notable $64,500 limited release would suggest that, barring a runaway success, this one is destined for a solid piece of business to cue up the classy DVD release complete with fascinating director's cut and commentary. Shame, because Jeremy Irvine is magnificent and Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth are perfectly good in the film. But it's too prosaic and sedate to be an awards contender.
North American top 10, 11-13 April 2014
1. Captain America: The Winter Solider, $41.4m. Total: $159m
2. Rio 2, $39m
3. Oculus, $12m
4. Draft Day, $9.8m
5. Divergent, $7.5m. Total: $124.9m
6. Noah, $7.45m. Total: $84.9m
7. God's Not Dead, $5.5m. Total: $40.7m
8. The Grand Budapest Hotel, $4.1m. Total: $39.5m
9. Muppets Most Wanted, $2.2m. Total: $45.7m
10. Mr Peabody & Sherman, $1.8m. Total: $105.2m
• Rio 2 leads Easter charge in the UK
• Video: Anne Hathaway on filming Rio 2
