Weekend Wrap-Up: It's All Fun and Games Till the Box Office Falls
April 16, 2012
The overall box office went about as well as expected over the weekend; however, that's not particularly good news, as expectations were low to begin with. The Hunger Games remained on top of the box office for the fourth time, making it the first film since Avatar to accomplish that feat. However, there wasn't a lot of celebrate over the weekend, as the box office fell 8% from last weekend to $114 million. More importantly, this was 12% lower than the same weekend last year, making this the worst year-over-year decline of 2012. That said, 2012 still has a massive lead on 2011 up $2.98 billion to $2.50 billion and if the summer is as good as the first part of the year was, that lead will be even greater by the time the Fall rolls around.
The Hunger Games held on better than expected earning $21.10 million over the weekend for a total of $336.67 million after four weeks of release. At this pace, $400 million starts to become a possibility again. It's very unlikely, but matching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 from last year is not.
The Three Stooges was the best of the new wide releases earning second place with $17.01 million, which is an excellent start for a film that cost $30 million to make. Additionally, its reviews are acceptable for a kids movie, and there's a chance its legs will be better than average thanks to its target demographic and should break even early in its home market run.
Despite the buzz and the outstanding reviews, The Cabin in the Woods only managed third place with $14.74 million. It too cost just $30 million to make and assuming its reviews help its legs and it does well internationally, it should break even early in its home market run. On the other hand, with 92% positive reviews, it really deserved to earn more.
Titanic fell to fourth place with $11.93 million over the weekend giving the film totals of $44.72 million during its re-release and $645.51 million in total. The film has already made enough money domestically to pay for its 3D conversion and is working on paying for its P&A budget. It should get there before it hits the home market, if it is released on 3D Blu-ray.
American Reunion fell from second to fifth with $10.47 million over the weekend for a total of $39.71 million after two. By this time next week, it will have matched its production budget domestically, meaning it is well on its way to profitability.
Lockout was well back of the top five in ninth place with $6.23 million. Its reviews were weak compared to the other new releases and with a per theater average of just $2,700, theater owners will likely drop the film rather fast.
There were a couple of films worth mentioning. Dr. Seuss' The Lorax became the second $200 million hit of 2012 just before the weekend, while Journey 2: The Mysterious Island became the sixth film released this year to reach the century club.
Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Titanic, The Cabin in the Woods, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, The Three Stooges, The Hunger Games, Lockout, American Reunion, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island