Weekend Wrap-Up: Lorax Parties On Top of the Chart
March 5, 2012
Nearly everyone expected Doctor Seuss' The Lorax to top the box office chart this weekend, but very few people saw it doing this well. It opened so well that The Hunger Games could have trouble topping it for biggest hit of the month. The overall box office rose to $168 million, which was 26% above last week's pace, as well as the same weekend last year. And here I was worried the streak might end. Year-to-date, 2012 has now pulled in $1.82 million, which is 19% higher than last year's pace. Hopefully this winning streak will continue, and it will if The Lorax has strong legs.
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax opened with $70.22 million, which is well and above even the high end estimates from before the weekend. It is also the best opening for a Universal film since Fast Five and the fourth best for the studio of all time. It is the second best opening for a non-sequel computer animated film and the third best March opening of all time. On the downside, its reviews have weakened and fallen below the overall positive, so perhaps its legs won't be as long as Rango's were, for instance. It should still become the biggest hit of the year by this time next week and reach $200 million before it is out of theaters.
Project X opened on the high end of expectations with $21.05 million. This is an excellent opening for a film that cost just $12 million to make. Granted, it still has to cover its prints and advertising, but this is a great start. Its reviews are far from excellent and its legs will likely be very short, but an Unrated DVD / Blu-ray release should be more than enough to push it over the top in terms of profitability, even if it doesn't thrive internationally.
Act of Valor held a little better than expected with $13.57 million over the weekend for a total of $45.11 million after two. The film cost just $12 million to make, so it has likely made more than its combined production and Prints & Advertising budgets, and unless it bombs internationally, it should reach profitability early in its home market run.
Not only did Safe House cross $100 million on Wednesday, it dipped just 32% to $7.39 million over the weekend. Its running tally rose to $108.36 million after four weeks of release and is currently the second biggest hit of the year.
Tyler Perry's Good Deeds fell 55% to $7.05 million over the weekend for a total of $25.79 million after two. It is a little ahead of Daddy's Little Girls' pace, so it likely will avoid becoming the worst box office performer in Tyler Perry's career, but it is well below his average.
The sophomore class wasn't very strong with Wanderlust in 10th place at $3.84 million over the weekend and $12.48 million after two. Gone hung on a little better down just 37%, but it started lower as well earning just $3.00 million over the weekend and $8.95 million after two.
Filed under: Weekend Estimates, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, Safe House, Wanderlust, Project X, Gone, Tyler Perry's Good Deeds, Act of Valor