After winning Friday by a nose, Fox’s Prometheus slipped into second this weekend with an estimated $50 million from 3,396 locations. That gives Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted the win with a reported $60.3 million from 4,258 dates and puts overall box office receipts more than 30% ahead of 2011.
Title
Weekend
Total
1
Madagascar 3
$60,350,000
$60.3
2
Prometheus
$50,000,000
$50
3
Snow White & the Huntsman
$23,020,000
$98.5
4
Men in Black 3
$13,500,000
$135.5
5
The Avengers
$10,809,000
$571.8
6
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
$3,235,000
$31
7
What to Expect When You’re Expecting
$2,700,000
$35.7
8
Battleship
$2,286,000
$59.8
9
The Dictator
$2,150,000
$55.1
10
Dark Shadows
$1,360,000
$73.7
What was a close race between this weekend’s two major new releases on Friday did not prove to be quite as close by the time three-day estimates were released. The stronger than expected $21.4 million launch of Prometheus on Friday was followed by an estimated 22% dip on Saturday, effectively ending the film’s shot at reaching $55 million. Still, it should be noted that not everyone was convinced that the R-rated Prometheus would even make it to $40 million this weekend. At this time last year JJ Abrams’ Super 8 managed just a $35.4 million debut; and that was with a PG-13 rating and the weekend (practically) to itself.
In terms of R-rated sci-fi, in August 2009 District 9 opened to $37.3 million. Of course, that was a big win for an original film from an unknown director. Prometheus, on the other hand, hails from the Alien franchise and was directed by Ridley Scott, the originator of the series and one of sci-fi’s most beloved auteurs. Its pedigree alone would seem to insure Prometheus a debut north of $40 million, right? Unfortunately, both ...
↧