Taking the top spot, Immortals did much bigger business than expected, slashing $32.2 million, for a per-theater average of a bustling $10,349 from around 5,000 screens at 3,112 theaters and 3-D accounting for 66 percent of business. That was the third-biggest debut for an R-rated movie this year, behind The Hangover: Part II and Paranormal Activity 3, as well as the second-biggest R-rated 3-D event ever behind Jack*** 3-D. Its' also the biggest-grossing movie yet from new distributor Relativity Media, who has earned their second win (out of five releases). The studio and other analysts (including myself) had tracked the film for a mid-20's millions opening, and those expectations were blown away. However, all trajectories indicate the Greek war epic to fade fast in the weeks ahead, as Friday's gross of nearly $15 million was nearly half of its' weekend, and its' "B" CinemaScore grade doesn't signal the best legs. Relativity produced the film for an expensive $75 million, a number that the film will struggle to reach on the domestic front, but it has grossed an additional $36 million overseas by far, so it should become a worldwide success.
In a distant second, Jack & Jill earned a pretty solid $25 million on its' debut, for a per-theater average of a good $7,273 from around 4,500 screens at 3,438 theaters. That was on par with star Adam Sandler's last family comedy Bedtime Stories, which opened with $27 million on its' Christmas Day weekend debut, but far from what Sandler has done recently. Still, it was on the high end of distributor Columbia Pictures' expectations, but they are hoping for strong legs throughout the remainder of the month. The film was slapped with negative response from critics, though audiences gave it a "B" CinemaScore grade, its' budget was a hefty $80 million, a number the film will have to work hard for stateside.
DreamWorks Animation's Puss in Boots finished less than $300,000 behind Jack & Jill for third place. The 3-D animated comedy held well once again with a 25% dip to $24.7 million, for a $108 million tally in 17 days. The film has caught up with MegaMind, which had grossed $109.3 million in the same amount of time, albeit with a lower third weekend gross. Puss will be challenged next weekend by Happy Feet Two, which hits theaters on Friday, and will be further pushed to the edge when three more family movies open in contention the following Wednesday for the Thanksgiving holiday. Still though, the latest DreamWorks flick will at least reach the $150 million mark by the time it leaves theaters. Puss became the years' 24th film to cross the $100 million barrier domestically on Saturday.
After its' subpar opening last weekend, Tower Heist dropped 47% to fourth place and earned $12.8 million in its' second frame, for a $43.5 million tally in 10 days. The Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy flick is still performing well under expectations, and that's not all the bad news since Murphy and director Brett Ratner dropped out as host and producer of the Oscars this year.
The other new release, Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar debuted modestly in fifth place with $11.2 million, for a per-theater average of a decent $5,873 from 1,910 theaters. That was on par for a Clint Eastwood-directed film, ranking with last year's Hereafter ($12.3 million debut) and far ahead of 2009's Invictus ($8.2 million). It was also far for star Leonardo DiCaprio's career, though that was to be expected, and was a touch higher than the opening of earlier this years' other political drama, The Ides of March ($10.4 million). The film was produced for $35 million by distributor Warner Bros. Pictures, a number it will be lucky to reach by the time its' all said and done.
A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas slid to sixth place, with an expected 54% cascade to $5.9 million, for a $23.2 million tally in 10 days. That was a slightly better hold than Escape from Guatanamo Bay's 59% drop, albeit with lower grosses on the weekend and cumulative total. However, it has become a success so far against its' $19 million budget and will likely run out of bullets in the gun at $35 million. In Time continues to defy expectations sliding to seventh place with a 45% ease to $4.1 million, for a $30.6 million tally in 17 days.
Meanwhile, Paranormal Activity 3 continued to be on the downfall in its' fourth weekend, with a 57% drop to eighth place and $3.6 million, for a $100.8 million tally in 24 days. It became the 25th film of the year to cross the $100 million mark domestically on Sunday and has a chance at beating the original Paranormal Activity's $108 million total. The remake of Footloose slid to ninth place and dropped 39% to an estimated $2.7 million for a $48.8 million tally in one month of release and is heading for just south of $55 million. Real Steel rounds out the Top 10 in its' sixth weekend, dropping 46% to $1.9 million for a $81.7 million tally in 37 days and has grossed over $220 million worldwide.
Overall box office surged 15% from the same time last year when DreamWorks Animation's MegaMind held the top spot for a second-straight weekend, dropping 37% to $29.1 million, for a $88.8 million tally in 10 days. Denzel Washington action thriller Unstoppable debuted in second place with a solid $22.7 million, on its' way to $82 million domestically. Due Date crashed 53% to $15.4 million and third place in its' second weekend, while sci-fi thriller Skyline debuted in fourth with a disappointing $11.7 million, and would crash to a $21.4 million domestic finish. Rachel McAdams comedy Morning Glory rounded out the Top 5 in its' debut, with a decent $9.2 million over the weekend and $11.8 million since its' Wednesday start, on its' way to a unspectacular $31 million finish.
Here is the final Top 10:
# Movie Final Number Projected Estimate My Prediction
1 Immortals $32,206,425 $32,000,000 $24,800,000
2 Jack & Jill $25,003,575 $26,000,000 $24,600,000
3 Puss in Boots $24,726,193 $25,500,000 $23,800,000
4 Tower Heist $12,773,765 $13,200,000 $14,500,000
5 J. Edgar $11,217,324 $11,470,000 $11,100,000
6 A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas $5,915,143 $5,900,000 $7,500,000
7 In Time $4,081,881 $4,150,000 $4,500,000
8 Paranormal Activity 3 $3,611,283 $3,600,000 $3,900,000
9 Footloose (2011) $2,726,736 $2,700,000 $3,000,000
10 Real Steel $1,864,688 $2,000,000 $1,900,000
