"Ghostbusters" was the big story this weekend, even if it fell a bit short of claiming the No. 1 spot. The controversial reboot of the 1984 classic was able to generate a solid, if unspectacular, amount of interest from audiences this weekend. However, "The Secret Life of Pets" still reigned supreme at the box office, impressively becoming the third animated film of 2016 to take in over $50 million in its second weekend. The top 12 grossed an estimated $154.1 million, down 26% from last weekend and 16% from the same frame in 2015.

The weekend take for "The Secret Life of Pets" was $50.6 million, which represented a 52% drop from its opening. That decline may be on the steeper end for an animated movie, but Illumination Entertainment films usually see large opening weekends followed by less-than-stellar second weekend holds. "Minions," for example, grossed $49.3 million in its second weekend, down 57% from its opening. Given the strong word-of-mouth for "Pets," it's likely that the 50%+ drop was due more to incredible anticipation for its opening weekend than loss of interest from moviegoers. The film should stabilize nicely in the coming weeks, as next weekend's "Ice Age: Collision Course" is not expected to be a strong earner. Domestically, the ten-day gross for "Pets" is $203.1 million, and it still looks like it's on course for a $350+ million total.

In second place, we find Sony's "Ghostbusters," which managed a $46 million weekend at the box office. That's smack dab in the middle of wide-ranging box office expectations for the film heading into the weekend, and in line with TheStreet's prediction. That opening mark's the largest debut for a live-action comedy since "The Martian" opened to $54.3 million in October 2015. But Sony was surely still hoping for more heading into the weekend, given the film's hefty $144 million budget.

Still, $46 million isn't a bad start for a revival of a long-dormant franchise and gives any potential sequels a solid fanbase to build upon. And given the amount of backlash the film received for its all-female cast in a franchise dominated by men, the $46 million opening is proof that there is considerable interest in films led by women. Not surprisingly, the audience was predominantly female (57%) and skewed older (63% of ticket buyers were over 25).

In the coming weeks, "Ghostbusters" should be able to hold on well for a tentpole. Films that have paired star Melissa McCarthy with director Paul Feig have had above-average holding power in the past. Even if "Ghostbusters" can't emulate those films, it should still benefit from a solid CinemaScore (B+) and a continued marketing spend from Sony, which has a lot riding on the film. One point of concern is the release of "Bad Moms" in two weeks, which is also a comedy with an all-female cast. The film is tracking strongly and could put a dent in the audience for "Ghostbusters." Nonetheless, "Ghostbusters" will likely still continue to benefit from younger-audience interest. The film received an even better CinemaScore from audiences under 18 (A-), and "Bad Moms" won't be as much of a distraction for under-18s given its "R" rating. Ultimately, look for "Ghostbusters" to make about $140 million at the domestic box office.

"The Legend of Tarzan" dropped to third this weekend, taking in $11.1 million for a $103.1 million total. The estimate for "Finding Dory" is less than $100,000 behind "Tarzan" at $11.04 million. The two films are close enough that they could ultimately swap positions when weekend actuals are released.

Notably, "Finding Dory" became the highest-grossing animated film of all time this weekend, as its $445.5 million gross-to-date is larger than the $441.2 million lifetime gross of "Shrek 2." That movie has held the animated crown for over ten years, and it's a testament to the popularity of "Shrek" that no film has passed it before "Dory." If Universal moves forward on reviving that franchise, the all-time animated record that "Dory" has achieved this summer may not stand for long.

"Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" rounded out the top five this weekend, dropping a steep 55% to $7.5 million. The movie seems to have taken a larger hit than expected from the release of "Ghostbusters" and may drop off fairly quickly from here. The film has grossed $31.3 million through its first ten days of release.

Opening outside of the top 5 was Bryan Cranston's thriller "The Infiltrator." The crime thriller was able to muster $5.3 million for a $6.7 million total since opening on Wednesday. The movie may benefit from a dearth of adult fare in the coming weeks, but $20 million still looks like the ceiling for this film, disappointing considering its estimated $25 million budget.

Next weekend, three movies will get a wide release. Paramount's "Star Trek Beyond" will claim the No. 1 spot, although it is likely to open lower than its predecessors. "Ice Age: Collison Course" may also be the lowest opener in the series domestically, but the film has always been an international play for Fox. Finally, Warner Bros. will release the horror movie "Lights Out" and will hope to capitalize on the strong interest that the genre has generated this summer. Check back on Thursday for official weekend predictions.

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