NEW YORK • This is the modern box office in microcosm: Captain America: Civil War collected about US$72.6 million (S$99.3 million) in its second weekend, while The Jungle Book in its fifth weekend took in US$17.8 million - leaving the only new arrival of note, Money Monster, the kind of star-driven movie that used to be Hollywood's bread and butter, with US$15 million in ticket sales.

And the studio behind Money Monster was doing cartwheels over that third-place result.

"This isn't just a win for Money Monster - anyone who loves this genre should be cheering," Sony Pictures, which released the US$27-million film through its TriStar division, said in a statement on Sunday. "This is one of the few films aimed squarely at adults this summer and audiences cast their votes with their ticket stubs."

The thriller, directed by Jodie Foster and starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, must still prove itself, as studios unleash big-budget sequels in the weeks ahead.

NEW YORK TIMES