Weekend Estimates: Fast Five Has Biggest 2011 Opening By Miles

May 1, 2011

After four months fretting about poor box office performance, we finally have an out-and-out success to celebrate. Fast Five has opened with an estimated $83.6 million, according to Universal's figures released on Sunday, which makes it not only the biggest opener of the year (with more than double the debut of the previous record-holder, Rio), but will take the record for the biggest weekend in April, topping the previous entry in the franchise, Fast & Furious (see top April weekends). Perhaps the message in all this is not so much that the industry is dying as that moviegoers haven't had anything to get excited about.

The struggles of unexciting films were very well highlighted by this weekend's three other wide releases. Prom came in with just $5 million for Disney; Hoodwinked 2 managed an even worse $4.14 million for Weinstein, and Dylan Dog: Dead of Night posted an estimated $885,000 for Omni/Freestyle.

Returning movies had a decided post-Easter hangover, with Hop suffering an almost-80% fall and most other films down between 50 and 75%. In limited release, 13 Assassins stood out for Magnolia with $40,200 in four theaters.

- 3-Day Weekend Estimates
- Daily estimates for Friday
- Daily estimates for Saturday
- Daily projections for Sunday
- Record April Weekends at the Box Office

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Hoodwinked Too: Hood vs. Evil, Fast Five, Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, Jûsan-nin no shikaku, Prom, Hop