Kick-Ass 2: Are R-Rated Comic Book Movies Stronger On DVD?

It was just a little bit later than this last year that Dredd 3D, the R-rated comic book adaptation beloved by its small number of fans, failed not only to take #1 at the U.S. box office but even to crack the top five. That film went on to earn only $13.4 million domestically and its sequel hopes rest squarely on home video sales.Well, Kick-Ass 2 managed a bit better than that, anyway. It didn’t make the cut for our five favorites of all time, but the R-rated comic book adaptation managed a $13.6 million opening weekend, coming in at #4 behind Lee Daniels’ The Butler and last week’s holdovers We’re the Millers and Elysium. But given the fact that nobody started to seriously consider the idea that Kick-Ass 2 might not come in at #1 until late last week, it’s likely the studio is seeing this as  a disappointment and, again, its sequel hopes might ride on international performance and the home video market.In fairness, that’s what they said about Kick-Ass the first time around…and now we’re talking about the second movie. Mark Millar is reportedly already writing a third film, so unless this performance is substantially lower than studio expectations, it wouldn’t be too surprising to see an announcement fairly soon. The film’s B+ CinemaScore among audiences shows that most people who saw it, liked it, and could bode well for repeat viewings, word-of-mouth and home video sales.