Mobsters, mountain climbers, and teenage racers piled into multiplexes this weekend, lifting the overall box office, but preventing any one film from dominating ticket sales. “The Maze Runner: Scorch Trails,” a sequel to last year’s post-apocalyptic young adult hit, fared best. It got off to a solid start by topping charts with $30.3 million. Filmed for $61 million and distributed by 20th Century Fox, the picture bowed in 3,791 locations, receiving intense competition from “Black Mass,” which likely contributed to it failing to match or exceed the $32.5 million debut of its predecessor. “Some people expected more out of the newcomers, but it was still a healthy weekend by September standards,” said Phil Contrino, vice president and chief analyst at BoxOffice.com. “There was a lot of diversity, but that can cut both ways. It builds everything up, but sometimes competition happens and there’s a little cannibalization.” Read more http://variety.com/2015/film/box-office/box-office-maze-runner-johnny-depp-1201597899/
