“FIFTY SHADES” PLUNGES; “HOT TUB” SUBMERGES

Fifty Shades of Grey, which soared to a record-breaking opening a week ago, turned a darker shade of gray over the weekend as it plunged more than 76 percent to $22.3 million. Nevertheless it bested three rival newcomers, McFarland, USA, which opened with $11 million; The DUFF, with $10.8 million; and Hot Tub Time Machine 2, which tanked with $6 million.

The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Studio Systems News (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):
1. Fifty Shades of Grey, Focus Features/Universal, $22,259,030, 2 Wks., ($129,161,536); 2. Kingsman: The Secret Service, 20th Century Fox, $18,346,023, 2 Wks., ($67,926,976); 3. The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Paramount, $16,573,682, 3 Wks., ($126,245,520); 4. McFarland, USA, Disney, $11,020,798, 1 Wks., (New); 5. The DUFF, CBS Films/Lionsgate, $10,809,149, 1 Wks., (New); 6. American Sniper, Warner Bros., $10,052,447, 9 Wks., ($320,009,632); 7. Hot Tub Time Machine 2, MGM, $5,963,324, 1 Wks., (New); 8. Jupiter Ascending, Warner Bros., $3,805,317, 3 Wks., ($39,662,296); 9. The Imitation Game, The Weinstein Company, $2,527,637, 13 Wks., ($83,883,536); 10. Paddington, The Weinstein Company, $2,444,684, 6 Wks., ($67,816,448).