--- description: Johansson slams Johnson in theaters. title: 'Lucy' Beats 'Hercules' at Box Office image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66615994ecbbbec9/69869d573bc9997f9d1a4b20/5703_tpt_00020r_crop-1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # _Lucy_ Takes Down _Hercules_ at Box Office  by [Nolan Feeney](/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 26, 2014 3:07 PM CUT  Writer/director Luc Besson directs SCARLETT JOHANSSON in ?Lucy?, an action-thriller that examines the possibility of what one human could truly do if she unlocked 100 percent of her brain capacity and accessed the furthest reaches of her mind. Writer/director Luc Besson directs SCARLETT JOHANSSON in ?Lucy?, an action-thriller that examines the possibility of what one human could truly do if she unlocked 100 percent of her brain capacity and accessed the furthest reaches of her mind.Universal Pictures  by [Nolan Feeney](/author/nolan-feeney/)  ## Nolan Feeney Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 26, 2014 3:07 PM CUT **Updated at 7/27 at 12:10 p.m.** Brains are beating brawn at the box office this weekend: Luc Besson’s _Lucy_, starring Scarlett Johansson, is [headed for the number-one spot](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-friday-shows-scarlett-721327 "undefined") ahead of _Hercules_, which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Lucy has already grossed $44 million this weekend after bringing in $17.1 million on Friday, according to data from Box Office Mojo. _Hercules_, meanwhile, has taken in $29 million after grossing $11 million on Friday. In _Lucy_, Johansson plays a woman who gains incredible powers after accidental exposure to some powerful drugs allows her to use more than 10 percent of her brain capacity. Johnson plays the titular Roman hero in _Hercules_, a movie that, according to reviews, may not require audiences to use 10 percent of _their_ brains to watch. That 10-percent idea is [actually a total myth](http://www.wired.com/2014/07/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-10-brain-myth-explained-in-60-seconds/ "undefined"), but the _Lucy-Hercules_ box office showdown will likely be considered the latest evidence for the viability of female-driven action movies. Although _The Heat_‘s $39 million opening weekend last year was modest by blockbuster standards, the fact that the buddy cop flick starred two women (Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy) and performed as well as it did kicked off [a number](http://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/the-heat-women-and-summer-movies "undefined") [of conversations](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-07-11/the-heat-spotlights-the-female-moviegoing-market-dot-again "undefined") about the puzzling lack of female-fronted movies. And while _Lucy_ isn’t operating at _Hunger Games_ levels, last year’s sequel, _Catching Fire,_ was a cause for celebration when it earned the [biggest Thanksgiving release ever](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-catching-fire-frozen-660822 "undefined") at a time when Hollywood has been [slow to pursue](http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/12/earth-to-hollywood-people-will-pay-to-see-a-female-superhero-film/282107/ "undefined") [a solid female superhero franchise](http://ideas.time.com/2012/08/31/where-are-all-the-good-female-superhero-movies/ "undefined"). Johansson, who also stars as Black Widow in the _Avengers_ franchise, said in March that she hopes a Black Widow spin-off will materialize from her frequent conversations with Marvel. “I think it would be exciting to be a part of a franchise or a standalone film where the female superhero used those opportunities as more than moments to stop, pause and look sexy, and actually have a lot of a real depth to the story,” [she told IGN earlier this year](http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/25/marvel-is-still-considering-a-black-widow-spin-off-movie "undefined"). Perhaps _Lucy_‘s win over _Hercules_ can be a nudge toward marking that happen. \[[_THR_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-friday-shows-scarlett-721327 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3039419/lucy-hercules-box-office/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3039419/lucy-hercules-box-office/"},"headline":"Lucy Takes Down Hercules at Box Office","datePublished":"2014-07-26T15:07:44.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T09:21:45.566Z","description":"Johansson slams Johnson in theaters, notching another victory for action films starring female leads","url":"https://time.com/3039419/lucy-hercules-box-office/","keywords":["movies","Scarlett Johansson","the rock"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66615994ecbbbec9/69869d573bc9997f9d1a4b20/5703_tpt_00020r_crop-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nolan Feeney","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/nolan-feeney/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt66615994ecbbbec9/69869d573bc9997f9d1a4b20/5703_tpt_00020r_crop-1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Film Title: Lucy","caption":"Film Title: Lucy","creditText":"Universal Pictures","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/movies/","name":"movies"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3039419/lucy-hercules-box-office/","name":"Lucy Takes Down Hercules at Box Office"}}]}] ```