In the battle of brains vs. brawn, Scarlett Johansson‘s expanded mind won easily.
“Lucy,” the Luc Besson-directed sci-fi thriller about a woman who develops superhuman powers after a drug implanted in her body by the mob leaks into her system, took $2.74 million at the Thursday night box office with shows starting at 8 p.m in 2386 theaters.
Also read: ‘Lucy’ Review: Scarlett Johansson Grows Smarter As the Movie Gets Dumber
The film, which has a 63 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, has been tracking well and is aiming for a $35 million opening in 3,172 theaters.
Meanwhile, “Hercules,” which stars The Rock as a mortal version of the Greek god, took in $2.1 million from shows starting at 7 p.m. The Paramount and MGM film was directed by Brett Ratner, and is hoping for $25 million for the weekend, with showings that include IMAX theaters.
Also read: ‘Hercules’ Reviews: Does the Dwayne Johnson Movie Rock or Is it More Brett Ratner Schlock?
The film has a 65 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes but little buzz, thanks to the dearth of press screenings leading up to its release. TheWrap’s Inkoo Kang called the movie, “A bore, a drag, an eyesore, a trifle … and a self-satisfied smirk drawn on a 64-ounce protein shake.”