Weekend Estimates: Peabody Beats Out Action Trio

March 16, 2014

Mr. Peabody & Sherman poster

An over-abundance of action movies this weekend split the market for moviegoers looking for such entertainment, allowing the animated family adventure Mr. Peabody and Sherman to sneak in and win the weekend. Peabody will be down a decent 34% from last weekend at $21.2 million, according to Fox, and will hit $63 million by the end of the weekend. Its legs will take it past 300: Rise of an Empire, which will be down 58% to $19.1 million for the weekend, and $78.4 million after two. Both films will top new release Need for Speed. Disney's debutant will post around $17.8 million for the weekend, a number undoubtedly squeezed by competition with 300 and Non-Stop, which will post $10.6 million in its third weekend, for $68.8 million in total.

Also opening this weekend, Tyler Perry's Single Moms Club is looking at a disappointing $8.3 million, Perry's worst performance for a film that he wrote and directed.

More impressive numbers are being posted by Veronica Mars, which is headed for a shade over $2 million from 291 theaters and an average of $6,945. That's hardly record-breaking though, and confirms the film as one with a fervent but niche audience.

A somewhat more impressive, if still niche, performance comes from The Grand Budapest Hotel, which moves into 8th place in the chart with $3.64 million expected from just 66 theaters. That gives it a stellar average over $55,000 -- an amazing figure for a film playing in so many locations.

Other films doing well in limited release this weekend include Bad Words, with an expected $120,000 from six theaters; Le Week-End, with $45,000 from three venues; and Enemy, with about $18,000 from one location.

- Weekend Estimates

Bruce Nash bruce.nash@the-numbers.com

Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, 300: Rise of an Empire, Need for Speed, Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club, Bad Words, Non-Stop, Le Week-End, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Veronica Mars, Enemy, Tyler Perry