21 Jump Street, the comedy starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, rocked the box office during its first 24 hours on the big screen, topping the charts with a dominant victory on Friday.
Moviegoers apparently agreed with critics who gave the television adaptation pretty good reviews, according to Rotten Tomatoes. The comedy earned $13.1 million on its first day in theaters, which also puts the film in good position to finish the weekend near the $30 million range.
Hill, who also played the role of writer for the film, told Howard Stern in a recent interview that if the movie flopped he would’ve been terribly disappointed. If the first day is any indication of the success the movie will have, then it looks like Hill will be just fine.
It’s been a big couple of months for the Superbad star, who was nominated for an Academy Award in the supporting actor category for his role in Moneyball, which also starred Brad Pitt.
The actor told his 1.5 million followers on Twitter that he worked on 21 Jump Street for five years, also using his account to push people to the theaters.
Eighty-seven percent of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie of a positive review, and 89 percent of moviegoers also gave the comedy their approval.
Falling in second on Friday was Dr. Seuss’ the Lorax with 6.7 million. The animated movie has already grossed $142 million in the United States, according to box office tracking website Box Office Mojo.com.
Taking the No. 3 spot was the action adventure John Carter, which stars Taylor Kitsch (TV series Friday Night Lights).
Here’s what the Top 5 looked like on Friday:
1. 21 Jump Street — $13.1 million
2. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax — $6.7 million
3. John Carter — $4 million
4. Project X — $1.5 million
5. A Thousand Words — $1.1 million
