OPENING: Heaven Is For Real (SONY) stellar at $22.5M (3-day) and $29.5M (5-day) for No. 2; Transcendence (WB) despondent at No. 4 with $10.8M; A Haunted House 2 (OPRD) $8.8M; Bears (DIS) hibernating with $4.7M.

5TH UPDATE, 2:45 PM: The final numbers are in for the box office Top 20, and Sony/TriStar has a lot to celebrate this weekend as peeps flocked to Heaven Is For Real this Easter holiday with a final tally of $22.5M (three-day) and $29.5M (five-day). Disney/Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier has a very good chance of being No. 1 for four weekends in a row as there is nothing in the hamper next weekend to stop it. Not since Lionsgate unleashed The Hunger Games in 2012 has that happened, and before that, the last time was in 2008 when Warner Bros introduced The Dark Knight. Rio 2 is No. 3 in its second weekend out, dropping 44%, and racking up $75M in two weeks. Transcendence, the Johnny Depp-starring sci-fi film, short-circuited this weekend and should have been retitled Despondence as it came in under $11M for Warner Bros. and Alcon. Uh, no peeps cared for that one. Surprising coming from Oscar-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister who made his directing debut and delivered such a bomb. The trailer was confusing and hard to follow. Seemed like it was just a bunch of shots of Depp in different states of duress instead of selling futuristic sizzle. The one sheet was a headshot of Depp with digits on his head. And the production stills made him look like American Hustle‘s Bradley Cooper in perm rods. It’s like Lawnmower 2 for the YK2 generation. Yes, in fact, there is actually a Y2K joke in there … so 2000.

Leaving no question about Divine Intervention: Noah jumped up two notches yesterday over opener Bears and God’s Not Dead to round out the Top 10 … and … Draft Day (which dropped 42% this weekend) scored better in its sophomore frame and juked Divergent this weekend to get the No. 6 spot. A Haunted House 2 from Open Road creaked its way to No. 5 and $8.8M in its debut while Oculus dropped 57% in its second weekend. Opening next weekend: the Cameron Diaz-Kate Upton-Leslie Mann comedy The Other Woman (Fox), Brick Mansions (REL) which stars the late Paul Walker, and the horror film The Quiet Ones (LGF). Expanding from five theaters to 25 runs in LA and NY will be the John Turturo’s comedy Fading Gigolo (Millennium). Here are the final weekend box office numbers: 1). Captain America: The Winter Soldier (DIS), 3,825 theaters (-113) / 3-day cume: $25.5M (-38%) / Per screen average: $6,689 / Total cume: $200.5M / Wk 3

2). Heaven Is For Real (SONY), 2,417 theaters / 3-day cume: $22.5M / Per screen: $9,318 / Total cume: $29.5M (5-day) / Wk 1

3). Rio 2 (FOX), 3,975 theaters (+27) / 3-day cume: $22.1M (-44%) / Per screen: $5,575 / Total cume: $75M / Wk 2

4). Transcendence (WB), 3,455 theaters / 3-day cume: $10.8M / Per screen: $3,151 / Wk 1

5). A Haunted House 2 (OPRD), 2,310 / 3-day cume: $8.8M / Per screen: $3,829 / Wk 1

6). Draft Day (LGF), 2,781 theaters (0) / 3-day cume: $5.7M (-42%) / Per screen: $2,054 / Total cume: $19.3M / Wk 2

7). Divergent (LGF), 2,486 theaters (-624) / 3-day cume: $5.6M (-24%) / Per screen: $2,257 / Total cume: $133.7M / Wk 5

8). Oculus (REL), 2,648 theaters (0) / 3-day cume: $5.1M (-57%) / Per screen: $1,947 / Total cume: $21.1M / Wk 2

9). Noah (PAR), 2,537 theaters (-745) / 3-day cume: $5M (-34%) / Per screen: $1,972/ Total cume: $93M / Wk 4

10). Bears (DIS), 1,720 theaters / 3-day cume: $4.7M / Per screen: $2,777 / Wk 1

11). God’s Not Dead (FREE), 1,796 theaters (-64) / 3-day cume: $4.6M (-16%) / Per screen: $2,587 / Total cume: $48.1M / Wk 5

12). The Grand Budapest Hotel (FSL), 1,280 theaters (-187) / 3-day cume: $3.4M (-16%) / Per screen:$2,668 / Total cume: $44.9 / Wk 7

13). 2 States (NR/UTV), 135 theaters / 3-day cume: $1M / Per screen: $7,897/ Wk 1

14). Muppets Most Wanted (DIS), 929 theaters (-1,332) / 3-day cume: $1M (-54%) / Per screen: $1,138/ Total cume: $48.3M / Wk 5

15). Trailer Park Boys 3 (NR/EOne), 148 theaters / 3-day cume: $850K / Per screen: $5,746 / Wk 1

16). Mr. Peabody & Sherman (FOX), 780 theaters (-1,221) / 3-day cume: $788K (-58%) / Per screen: $1,011 / Total cume: $107.1M / Wk 7

17). The Lego Movie (WB), 300 theaters (-310) / 3-day cume: $399K (-20%) / Per screen: $1,175 / Total cume: $252.2M / Wk 11

18). Non-Stop (UNI), 360 theaters (-402) / 3-day cume: $379K (-49%) / Per screen: $1,054 / Total cume: $90.1M / Wk 8

19). The Raid 2 (SPC), 539 theaters (-415) / 3-day cume: $363K (-62%) / Per screen: $675 / Total cume: $2.2M / Wk 4

20). Lunchbox (SPC), 158 theaters (+29) / 3-day cume: $349K (+23%) / Per screen: $2,213 / Total cume: $2.2M / Wk 8

4TH UPDATE, 8:17 AM: It’s been a very exciting weekend at the box office and the final ranking changed after yesterday’s moviegoing. Easter Sunday proved to be a very strong day for Heaven Is For Real, and final numbers have it just passing Rio 2 today to take the No. 2 box office spot behind Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

It’s a stellar performance by the faith-based Heaven, which started off strong Wednesday with a $3.7M opening and by Friday had already racked up $7M. The picture wasn’t expected to make much past $18M-$19M. However, the Sony/TriStar film built its grosses steadily throughout the weekend, gathered in a flock of faith-based moviegoers beyond the mainstream audiences that it was already getting and then emerged on Friday night with an A+ CinemaScore with those 35 and under. Quite an accomplishment and a testimony to the quality adaptation of the book and direction by Randy Wallace. It also received an A CinemaScore overall. Heaven Is For Real‘s final tally is estimated to be $22.5M for the three-day and $29.5M for the five-day.

By all accounts this AM, Fox’s animated feature Rio 2 is expected in at $22.4M today for No. 3. In addition, it appears that Noah made it into the Top 10, with God’s Not Dead coming in right under Disney’s opener Bears. The chart will come later after all studios report their numbers today.

Related: INTL BO: ‘Spider-Man 2′ Spins $47M Web For Biggest Opening Of 2014

3RD UPDATE, SUNDAY, 7:18 AM: $200M, as expected, for Captain America: The Winter Soldier today as it parades in with a $26.7M weekend on Easter Sunday and $201M+. It now stands at $586.6M worldwide. This is the 12th Marvel film to cross that threshold. Easter weekend is up 8% over last year at this time. The holy holiday brings a couple of other surprises as the best newcomer of the weekend, Heaven Is For Real, is now expected to have a 3-day gross of $21.5M to $22M+ for a $9,200 per screen, far above any other picture in the Top Ten. And, depending how much of a drop off there is today, it may end its 5-day run with $29M+. That’s a nice sum for a picture that Sony says has a $12M negative cost (not including marketing). Kudos to filmmakers Randy Wallace, co-screenwriter Chris Parker, producers T.D. Jakes and Joe Roth and its stars Greg Kinnear, Kelly Reilly and Connor Corum. “The film definitely played not only to a faith-based audience but to a mainstream audience as well,” said Rory Bruer, president of worldwide distribution. “The title itself provokes dialogue no matter what you believe. It’s based on a book and the true story of this family, so it makes it all that more compelling.”

Related: Specialty Box Office: ‘Fading Gigolo’ Seduces In Limited Opening; ‘Under The Skin’ Passes $1M

The other surprise of the weekend was that Fox’s animated film Rio 2 didn’t get off the ground as everyone expected at the start of the 3-day; it will make about $22.5M this weekend (down 43%) in its sophomore frame for a total cume of $75.3M (according to Fox) although all others have it higher. And the Johnny Depp starrer Transcendence started its slow descent for Warner Bros. and Alcon when it opened to lackluster numbers on Thursday and then received its C+ CinemaScore on Friday when its core audience got a look-see. The pic will make only $11M+ for the weekend. However, in China, it opened bigger than in the U.S. on 2,180 more screens, of course. It grossed $11.4M in China. Right under that is A Haunted House 2, the comedy/horror film that will end up with $8.8M for the weekend. Open Road Films said it was a $4M negative (not counting marketing costs), so perhaps when this finishes its run, it may make a bit of cash. Btw, Open Road is the only distrib. to expect it to gross higher; they are saying $9.1M.

Related: ‘Frozen’ Is Highest Animated International Grosser Of All Time

Disneynature’s Bears slept through the weekend with only $4.8M and may not make it into the Top Ten as Paramount’s four-week holdover Noah may end up in that spot. If Noah rounds out the box office top ten, there will be three heavenly related films — Heaven is For Real, God’s Not Dead and Noah — this Easter Sunday. Noah is tracking at $4.8M by all distribs but Paramount who has it at $5M. Can’t call it for Noah yet. Draft Day, in its second weekend, dropped only 40% and its cume is hovering around $19.5M for Lionsgate (Summit) after another $5.8M 3-day, stepping around Divergent to come up a notch in the standings. The horror film, Oculus, dropped off 56% in its second weekend; it’s cume is at $21.1M. Here’s the chart:

1). Captain America: The Winter Soldier (DIS), 3,825 theaters (-113) / $9.5M Fri. / $10.4M to $10.6M Sat. / $6.2M Sun. (-40%) 3-day cume: $26.2M to $26.7M (-36%) / Per screen average: $6,800 / Total cume: $201M+ / Wk 3

2). Rio 2 (FOX), 3,975 theaters (+27) / $9.2M Fri. /$8.1M Sat. / $5.2M Sun. (-35%) / 3-day cume: $22.5M (-43%) / Per screen: $5,700 / Total cume: 75.3M / Wk 2

3). Heaven Is For Real (SONY), 2,417 theaters / $7.8M Fri. / $8.2M Sat. / $5.3M Sun. (-38%) / 3-day cume: $21.5M to $22.3M / Per screen: $9,200 / Total cume: $29.3M (5-day) / Wk 1

4). Transcendence (WB), 3,455 theaters / $4.8M Fri. / $3.8M Sat. / $2.4M Sun. (-35%) / Per screen: $3,207 / 3-day cume: $11M+ / Wk 1

5). A Haunted House 2 (OPRD), 2,310 / $4M Fri. / $3M Sat. / $1.8M Sun. (-40%) / Per screen: 3,800 / 3-day cume: $8.8M / Wk 1

6). Divergent (LGF), 2,486 theaters (-624) / $2.1M Fri. / $2.3M Sat. / $1.2M Sun. (-45%) / 3-day cume: $5.9M (-20%) / Total cume: $134.1M / Wk 5

7). Draft Day (LGF), 2,781 theaters (0) / $2.1M Fri. / $2.3M Sat. / $1.4M Sun. (-40%) / 3-day cume: $5.89M (-40%) / Total cume: $19.5M to $19.7M / Wk 2

8). Oculus (REL), 2,648 theaters (0) / $2M Fri. / $2M Sat. / $1.1M Sun. (-40%) / 3-day cume: $5.2M (-56%) / Total cume: $21.19M / Wk 2

9). God’s Not Dead (FREE), 1,796 theaters (-64) / $1.6M Fri. / $1.6 Sat. / $1.5M Sun. (-10%) / 3-day cume: $4.8M (-13%) / Total cume: $48.3M / Wk 5

10/11). Bears (DIS), 1,720 theaters / $2.3M Fri. / $1.5M Sat. / $930K Sun. (-40%) / 3-day cume: $4.8M / Wk 1

Noah (PAR), 2,537 theaters (-745) / $1.6M Fri. / $1.88M Sat. / $1.2M Sun. (35%) / 3-day cume: $4.8M (-38%) / Total cume: $93M+ / Wk 4

2ND UPDATE, SATURDAY, 11:20 PM: After grossing an estimated $10M to $10.3M, Captain America: The Winter Soldier will definitely cross the $200M mark this weekend for Disney/Marvel with estimates now at $25.7M to $26M for the 3-day. Fox’s Rio 2 has been downgraded again to $22.1M to $22.5M after taking in another $7.6M to $8M on Saturday. And Heaven is For Real adds even more for Sony/TriStar after a solid $8M Saturday to take in around $21M for the weekend for a total five-day cume of $28M+ on what Sony says is a $12M negative (not including marketing costs). The next tier down is Transcendence which didn’t do very well on Saturday night as far as openers go, grossing $3.7M to $3.9M and hopes to pull in $11M for Warner Bros. and its flagging star Johnny Depp. Big Budget Bomb. Rounding out the Top Five is A Haunted House 2. The Marlon Wayan’s comedy/horror film took in only $2.9M for Open Road Films and its 3-day estimate is lowered to $8.8M to $9M. The last newcomer this weekend is Disney’s Bears and that is still on track to gross around $5M. Will update early tomorrow as the numbers roll in and provide a chart as well. Numbers will likely change in the AM but not the pecking order. Until morning …



UPDATE, SATURDAY, 7:17 AM: Positions have not changed this morning — Captain America: The Winter Soldier is No. 1 three weekends in a row for Disney/Marvel and Rio 2 is in the second spot for Fox, but estimates have been revised slightly. Captain America is now expected to gross $24.5M to $25.4M compared to $23M for the animated sequel Rio 2, which is now lower at $23M+ for the 3-day. It looks like Captain America will cross $200M this weekend or come very close to it at least. And next weekend, the franchise has a strong possibility of holding on to No. 1 for the fourth weekend in a row. If it does so, it will be the first picture since Hunger Games to do so in 2012 and before that The Dark Knight in 2008. There is nothing of circumstance opening next weekend to put the whoa’s on it (competition is the female comedy The Other Woman, the late Paul Walker starrer Brick Mansions, and the horror film The Quiet Ones).

Sony/TriStar’s Heaven is For Real is in the $18.9M to the $20.1M range for the three-day with the 5-day gross now estimated to be $27M+, depending on how much the picture drops on Easter Sunday. Traditionally, moviegoing peaks on Good Friday and then falls off a bit on Easter Sunday as people tend to spend time at home with their families; it is unlike the heavy moviegoing seasons of Christmas or Thanksgiving when the marketplace is flooded with moviegoers of all ages as school kids and college students have long breaks and people can’t wait to get a break from family get togethers. However, faith-based pictures, have been enjoying stronger holds on Sunday. The picture, produced by Joe Roth and TD Jakes with filmmaker Randy Wallace at the helm, was well adapted from the bestselling book of the same name by Wallace and Chris Parker. It was also well executed with an overall A CinemaScore and those 35 and under gave it an A+. The picture is based on the true story of four-year-old Colton Burpo who almost died and then came back only to astonish his parents with people he visited in Heaven (like his great grandfather whom he could not have known yet described in detail). Having had a near death experience myself, there is no rational/medical explanation to elucidate what I witnessed in detail either.

Heaven is For Real opened strong this past Wednesday to $3.7 and continued Thursday with another $1.37M; so it started the weekend with a solid $7M. Just two weeks ago, looking at tracking, there was virtually no unaided awareness for it, so what happened is the faith-based moviegoers (who Hollywood is unable to track) came out yet again this year to support a God-themed movie. According to Sony, “The audience demographic is 62% female and 38% male with 49% under 35 years of age, showing strength among faith-based as well as mainstream audiences.”

Sad news for Warner Bros., Johnny Depp and producer Alcon Entertainment this morning as Transcendence estimates have descended in its opening weekend to $11.5M to $11.8M; can’t beat bad word-of-mouth on a C+ CinemaScore either so this picture will likely drop hard in its second weekend. Estimates for Marlon Wayan’s A Haunted House 2 from Open Road Films have not really changed. The first Haunted House had a much stronger opening weekend last year with $18.1M and went onto gross $40M domestically. This one is opening to half of that, around $9M to $9.4M (Open Rd. is the only one predicting $10M and says it’s budget was $4M – that doesn’t include marketing costs). Scary. The last opener of this weekend is Disney’s Bears, which is a live-action nature show that could have easily been distributed through the National Geographic channel (it has that kind of feel to it). Narrated by John C. Reilly, the little film is expected to pull in around $5M for the studio. That is a snapshot this morning and here is the updated chart:

1). Captain America: The Winter Soldier (DIS), 3,825 theaters (-113) / $9.8M to $10.1M Fri. / 3-day cume: $24.5M to $25.4M (-38% to 40%) / Per screen average: $6,650 / Total cume: $200M / Wk 3

2). Rio 2 (FOX), 3,975 theaters (+27) / $9.2M to $9.5M Fri. /3-day cume: $23M+ (-41%) / Per screen: $5,700 / Total cume: 75.9M / Wk 2

3). Heaven Is For Real (SONY), 2,417 theaters / $7.8M Fri. / 3-day cume: $18.9M to $20.1M / Per screen: $8,000 / Total cume: $26.8M to $27M+ (5-day) / Wk 1

4). Transcendence (WB), 3,455 theaters / $4.8M Fri. / 3-day cume: $11.5M to $11.8M / Per screen: $3,300 / Wk 1

5). A Haunted House 2 (OPRD), 2,310 / $3.9M to $4.1M Fri. / 3-day cume: $9M to $9.4M / Per screen: $4,000/ Wk 1

6). Draft Day (LGF), 2,781 theaters (0) / $2.1M Fri. / 3-day cume: $6M (-37%) / Total cume: $19.5M to $19.7M / Wk 2

7). Divergent (LGF), 2,486 theaters (-624) / $2.15M to $2.3M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5.5M to $6M (-18%) / Total cume: $133.6M to $134.2M / Wk 5

8). Oculus (REL), 2,648 theaters (0) / $2M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5.3M (-53%) / Total cume: $21.3M / Wk 2

9). Bears (DIS), 1,720 theaters / $2.3M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5M / Per screen: $2,900 / Wk 1

10). God’s Not Dead (FREE), 1,796 theaters (-64) / $1.6M Fri. / 3-day cume: $4M to $4.9M (-11% to 14%) / Total cume: $47.5M to $48.4M / Wk 5

PREVIOUS, FRIDAY, 11:18 PM: Heaven is For Real — yet another faith-based film, this time from Sony/TriStar and based on the best-selling Christian book of the same name — has risen beyond all expectations to gross an estimated $7.8M to $8M tonight for a 3-day of about $19.4M to $19.6M and a 5-day total of possibly $26.5M+. Its per screen average, hovering around $8,000, is the highest of any pic in the Top Ten. Thought it might do so with such strong mid-week opening numbers. Kudos to filmmaker Randy Wallace who directed and co-scripted (with Chris Parker) for having the best opener of the weekend, head and shoulders above the Johnny Depp-starring sci-fi film Transcendence which is in the No. 4 post with only $12M to $12.4M for the 3-day and a C+ CinemaScore. Transcendence is the debut film of Oscar-winning cinematographer Wally Pfister. Heaven is For Real, which stars Greg Kinnear, got an overall CinemaScore of A and A+ with those under 35. Pretty darn good and means positive word-of-mouth. Lo and behold, there are currently two faith-based films again in the Top Ten this weekend with God’s Not Dead hanging on for the ten spot in its fifth week of release, adding another $4.7M. On a $2M budget (with another $2M to market), it’s expected total cume is $48.3M.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, commands the No. 1 spot in a three-peat for Disney/Marvel and the sequel should travel past $200M after the 3-day. Added to its $335M+ international take from last weekend and its already at $535M+ worldwide and will go much higher after this 3-day. There is only a slight difference right now between the Cap and Rio 2 but bets are on that the positions will stay in place throughout the Easter weekend. The Cap shooed the bird away last weekend, too, when Rio 2 opened in second place. Seems Fox can’t get a beak — I mean, break — domestically with this animated family film as the sequel opened to almost identical numbers as the first film (at $39.3M). However, with its overseas take added in, it’ll be flying past $200M+ after this weekend worldwide. As it stands tonight, the Captain is flipping the bird.

This Easter weekend has turned into a three-tier Top Ten. The first tier being Captain America ($25.8M to $26.1M) , Rio 2 ($24.1M to 24.3M) and Heaven is For Real ($19.4M to $19.6M); the second tier is Transcendence ($12M to $12.4M) and the newcomer A Haunted House 2 ($9.1M to $9.5M) starring Marlon Wayans to round out the Top Five. The comedy/horror film that Wayans has been working hard to promote for Open Road Films received a B+ CinemaScore. The third tier — full of holdovers — is where Disney’s opener Bears lumbered into with around $5.2M to $5.6M but has a solid A CinemaScore. In their second weekends, Draft Day is only expected to drop about 33% but the horror film Oculus is sinking faster, down about 53%. Here are positions and numbers based on Friday night numbers. As always, positions and estimates may change in the AM:

1). Captain America: The Winter Soldier (DIS), 3,825 theaters (-113) / $9.8M to $10.1M Fri. / 3-day cume: $25.8M to $26.1M (-38%) / Per screen average: $6,800 / Total cume: $200M+ / Wk 3

2). Rio 2 (FOX), 3,975 theaters (+27) / $9.5M to $9.8M Fri. /3-day cume: $24.1M to $24.3M (-40%) / Per screen: $6,088 / Total cume: 77.5M / Wk 2

3). Heaven Is For Real (SONY), 2,417 theaters / $7.8M to $8M Fri. / 3-day cume: $19.4M to $19.6M / Per screen: $8,000 / Total cume: $26.5M to $27M (5-day) / Wk 1

4). Transcendence (WB), 3,455 theaters / $5M Fri. / 3-day cume: $12M to $12.4M / Per screen: $3,545 / Wk 1

5). A Haunted House 2 (OPRD), 2,310 / $3.8M to $4.2M Fri. / 3-day cume: $9.1M to $9.5M / Per screen: $4,097/ Wk 1

6). Draft Day (LGF), 2,781 theaters (0) / $2.3M Fri. / 3-day cume: $6.5M+ (-33%) / Total cume: $20.2M / Wk 2

7). Divergent (LGF), 2,486 theaters (-624) / $2.3M to $2.5M Fri. / 3-day cume: $6.1M to $6.3M (-17%) / Total cume: $134.3M / Wk 5

8). Oculus (REL), 2,648 theaters (0) / $2M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5.5M (-53%) / Total cume: $21.6M / Wk 2

9). Bears (DIS), 1,720 theaters / $2.4M Fri. / 3-day cume: $5.2M to $5.6M / Per screen: $3,139 / Wk 1

10). God’s Not Dead (FREE), 1,796 theaters (-64) / $1.6M Fri. / 3-day cume: $4.7M (-14%) / Total cume: $48.3M / Wk 5