We’re only at the beginning-to-middle of summer, and it has been a tough season for movies and movie theaters. Green Lantern was no doubt going to be #1 at the box office but numbers were not as heroic for Warner Bros. and DC Comics (in comparison to WB & DC’s-Batman Begins and The Dark Knight). J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 fell to #2 but squeezed out the debut of Mr. Popper’s Penguins starring Jim Carrey to #3 ($18.445 million). The sequels of X-Men: First Class, The Hangover Part II (#5; $10.071 million), Kung Fu Panda 2 (#6; $9.027 million) and Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides are feeling the sting of a slow summer that has rewarded movies like Bridesmaids (#7; $7.097 million). Will the rest of the summer continue on the same streak? Not possible with the final Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Although Hal Jordan/Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps love the color green, #1 Green Lantern, brought in less green during its first weekend than other summer 2011 superhero movies like Thor ($65.723 million) and X-Men: First Class ($55.101 million) with $53.174 million. About 45 percent of the total domestic box office is from the 3D showings and that too is down with the average being 60 percent; part of an ongoing sign that the higher cost of a 3D ticket is not attracting audiences for most movies. Internationally, the box office was at $17 million but the release has not been made worldwide yet. The lesser-known Green Lantern will have to power over $200 million to break even, not including the cost of the ad-heavy campaign. Actor Ryan Reynolds will also star as comic book character Wade Wilson/Deadpool in Deadpool, now in pre-production.
Super 8 was super strong as it held onto the second spot with $21.472 million, a 39.4% dip. The Steven Spielberg-produced film (Is he the busiest person in Hollywood or what? TNT’s survivors vs skitters/mecs Falling Skies debuted yesterday on Sunday, June 20th) was projected to do well over the Father’s Day weekend and did as promised. The $21.571 million total foreign box office matched the weekend’s domestic profits.
In its third weekend, X-Men: First Class movie grossed $11.993 million at #4 even though it fell two spots. It is hitting the spot with international viewers as the foreign box office of $162.1 million overshadowed the domestic box office of $120.358 million.
#8 Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides pulled in $6.646 million. Though the current domestic gross of $220.746 million is far from reaching the domestic gross of The Curse of the Black Pearl ($305.413 million), the lowest of the first three movies, the $952.646 million worldwide gross is close to topping At World’s End ($963.42 million), the second highest grossing of the series.
Check out ‘What To Watch – Theater Edition’ this Friday for this week’s new movie releases…a re-issue 35 years in the making.
Feed me at sharon@horrorhaven.com
