Still though, it was another great weekend to be Pixar as the famous animation studio scored their 13th-straight #1 debut with Brave. The animated epic hit a bullseye worth $66.3 million on its' debut, for a per-theater average of a strong $15,928 from around 7,700 screens at 4,164 theaters (the most for a Pixar release). The gross was slightly ahead of Cars 2's $66.1 million start on this same weekend last year and ranked as Pixar's fifth-biggest opening (behind Toy Story 3, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, and Up). Considering that the film had a female lead was a risky move and that analysts had originally expected a mid-50's millions debut, this performance is especially impressive. It also marked the third animated title this year to open to $60 million or more and is the years' fourth-biggest debut by far (behind The Avengers, The Hunger Games, and The Lorax). Critics gave it good reviews, though not quite as good as other recent Pixar titles (74% on Rotten Tomatoes), while audiences loved it ("A" CinemaScore). With no new competition until Ice Age 4 hits theaters in three weeks, Brave should experience low declines over the next several weekends. The film was produced for a reported $185 million by distributor Walt Disney Pictures/Pixar Animation Studios.
After two weeks on top, and even with a new animated film in town, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted miraculously held on strong, down just 42% to $19.7 million, bringing its' 17-day total to an impressive $157.1 million. In just three weeks, the film has already surpassed the final grosses of Puss in Boots and MegaMind. This is more than enough proof that there is positive word-of-mouth spawning for this threequel. The latest DreamWorks Animation production is now guaranteed to reach $200 million stateside. With this, Brave, and The Lorax overperforming, and another potential hit with Ice Age 4 coming in a few weeks, 2012 is now shaping up to be a strong year for animation.
Landing in third place with a thud is horror flick Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which earned $16.3 million, for a per-theater average of an OK $5,247 from around 5,300 screens at 3,108 theaters. That was in line with low expectations, but its' still a disappointing start given its' $70 million budget. Distributor 20th Century Fox had anticipated a $15 million debut, and they are hoping it will be able to hold well over the next week and a half before The Amazing Spider Man debuts. However, critics weren't very kind to it and audiences gave it a stale "C+" CinemaScore.
Prometheus dropped to fourth place, but it was able to hold better than last weekend despite competition from Abraham Lincoln. Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi flick dropped 52% to $9.9 million, for a 10-day total of a good $108.5 million. It passed the $100 million mark on Friday, the 11th title of 2012 to do so. Snow White and the Huntsman had another good hold in its' fourth weekend, down 39% to $8.1 million, for a $137.1 million gross in 24 days. The fantasy hit is looking at a $160 million finish. In its' second weekend, the musical bomb Rock of Ages was down 47% to $7.7 million, for a stale 10-day total of $28.4 million. Looks like it may not make more than $45 million stateside.
Faring a bit better and just a hair behind in seventh is Adam Sandler's first real disappointment, That's My Boy, down 43% to $7.6 million, for a 10-day total of $27.2 million and also is looking at a $45 million finish stateside. Two action hits followed. In its' eighth weekend, The Avengers had another spectacular hold, down just 19% to eighth place and $7.2 million, for a stellar 56-day total of $598.4 million and is just a few days away from becoming the first non-James Cameron film to reach $600 million domestically. Men in Black III dropped behind the superhero brigade, but continued to play well with a 43% drop to $5.7 million, for a $163.5 million pick-up in one month of release. While a $180 million finish is the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise, its' still quite remarkable for the threequel to come close to its' predecessors' final gross, especially when its' been a decade-long wait.
The final new release, Seeking A Friend For The End of the Earth, was a major misfire. Not only did it only make a fraction of what I predicted (I have to admit that), but it only was able to muster $3.8 million, rounding out the Top 10 and averaging an abysmal $2,352 from 1,625 theaters. Distributor Focus Features produced the film for just $10 million though, so at least it won't be a costly write-off.
Overseas, Madagascar 3 took the top spot for a third-straight weekend with another $30.1 million in 44 countries, bringing its' three-week total to $208 million overseas. Snow White and the Huntsman took second for the second week in a row with another $22.6 million from 60 territories and raising its' international cume to $160.4 million. Brave opened in 10 territories and ended up taking third place for the weekend with $13.5 million, with a slow roll-out planned for July and August. Prometheus slid to fourth with another $12.7 million from 61 markets, for a $153 million gross so far overseas. International blockbuster Men in Black III rounded out the Top 5 with another $10.5 million, for a strong $414 million international cume, and a worldwide tally approaching $600 million.
Landing in third place with a thud is horror flick Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, which earned $16.3 million, for a per-theater average of an OK $5,247 from around 5,300 screens at 3,108 theaters. That was in line with low expectations, but its' still a disappointing start given its' $70 million budget. Distributor 20th Century Fox had anticipated a $15 million debut, and they are hoping it will be able to hold well over the next week and a half before The Amazing Spider Man debuts. However, critics weren't very kind to it and audiences gave it a stale "C+" CinemaScore.
Prometheus dropped to fourth place, but it was able to hold better than last weekend despite competition from Abraham Lincoln. Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi flick dropped 52% to $9.9 million, for a 10-day total of a good $108.5 million. It passed the $100 million mark on Friday, the 11th title of 2012 to do so. Snow White and the Huntsman had another good hold in its' fourth weekend, down 39% to $8.1 million, for a $137.1 million gross in 24 days. The fantasy hit is looking at a $160 million finish. In its' second weekend, the musical bomb Rock of Ages was down 47% to $7.7 million, for a stale 10-day total of $28.4 million. Looks like it may not make more than $45 million stateside.
Faring a bit better and just a hair behind in seventh is Adam Sandler's first real disappointment, That's My Boy, down 43% to $7.6 million, for a 10-day total of $27.2 million and also is looking at a $45 million finish stateside. Two action hits followed. In its' eighth weekend, The Avengers had another spectacular hold, down just 19% to eighth place and $7.2 million, for a stellar 56-day total of $598.4 million and is just a few days away from becoming the first non-James Cameron film to reach $600 million domestically. Men in Black III dropped behind the superhero brigade, but continued to play well with a 43% drop to $5.7 million, for a $163.5 million pick-up in one month of release. While a $180 million finish is the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise, its' still quite remarkable for the threequel to come close to its' predecessors' final gross, especially when its' been a decade-long wait.
The final new release, Seeking A Friend For The End of the Earth, was a major misfire. Not only did it only make a fraction of what I predicted (I have to admit that), but it only was able to muster $3.8 million, rounding out the Top 10 and averaging an abysmal $2,352 from 1,625 theaters. Distributor Focus Features produced the film for just $10 million though, so at least it won't be a costly write-off.
Overseas, Madagascar 3 took the top spot for a third-straight weekend with another $30.1 million in 44 countries, bringing its' three-week total to $208 million overseas. Snow White and the Huntsman took second for the second week in a row with another $22.6 million from 60 territories and raising its' international cume to $160.4 million. Brave opened in 10 territories and ended up taking third place for the weekend with $13.5 million, with a slow roll-out planned for July and August. Prometheus slid to fourth with another $12.7 million from 61 markets, for a $153 million gross so far overseas. International blockbuster Men in Black III rounded out the Top 5 with another $10.5 million, for a strong $414 million international cume, and a worldwide tally approaching $600 million.
