The top three films released this weekend pulled in impressive box office numbers during opening night on Thursday, the Hollywood Reporter reported.
The sequel for the film adaptation of the young-adult novel "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials," Johnny Depp's portrayal of convicted murderer and crime boss Whitey Bulger in "Black Mass," and the adventure thriller "Everest" all opened during a busy North American box office weekend.
"Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials" brought in $1.7 million across 2,900 theaters in the states on Thursday night, pulling in the most out of the three films and earning 55 percent more than the first film, 2014's "The Maze Runner." The film is compared to other young-adult novel-turned-film franchise "The Hunger Games" in a recent review by the Los Angeles Times.
"Black Mass" pulled in the second-highest box office numbers, with $1.4 million across 2,700 theaters. The Warner Bros. production stars Johnny Depp in one of his most critically acclaimed performances in years, according to Variety.
"Johnny Depp does career-best work as notorious Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger in Scott Cooper's taut, elegantly understated crime drama," Variety reported.
Although "Everest" received a limited release (debuted only in IMAX due to its 3D format), it grossed $325,000 on Thursday night across only 481 theaters. Screenings will expand to 540 theaters for the remainder of the weekend. The film features performances by Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley and Jake Gyllenhaal.
