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Box Office ‘Thinks Like a Man’

After a powerful four-week reign, dystopian thriller The Hunger Games was finally kicked from the top spot and was replaced by the adaptation of Steve Harvey’s best seller, Think Like a Man. The loftiest estimates had this comedy collecting roughly $25 million, but decent reviews and diverse appeal launched the relationship flick to $33.6 million.

Even though “man” opened in 1,000 fewer theaters than its closest competition, it seemed to be no hurdle, and in the process gave Think Like a Man the third best per-theater average of the year with a huge $16,693. Only Madea Goes to Jail opened better among comparable titles.


Also performing better-than-expected in second was Nicolas Sparks adaptation The Lucky One starring Zach Efron, which was able to post the second-best start for a big-screen treatment of the author with $22.5 million. Reviews were not quite as positive for this drama, but the core female fanbase and fans of Efron all turned out.

 

The Top 10

1. Think Like a Man - $33.6M (weekend)…$33.6M (gross)
2. The Lucky One - $22.5M…$22.5M
3. The Hunger Games - $14.7M…$357.0M
4. Chimpanzee - $10.7M…$10.2M
5. The Three Stooges - $9.8M…$29.9M
6. The Cabin in the Woods - $8.0M…$27.4M
7. American Reunion - $5.5M…$48.5M
8. Titanic 3D - $5.0M…$52.8M
9. 21 Jump Street - $4.8M…$127.2M
10. Mirror Mirror - $4.4M…$55.5M

 

Despite settling for third, The Hunger Games still made off with $14.7 million (for a slim 30-percent drop) and upped its mammoth domestic total to $356.9 million and a colossal $572.7 million globally. The Hunger Games is now less than $1 million behind the final “Harry Potter” film and seems destined to surpass its final gross of $381 million.

Posting the third-best debut ever for a documentary and the best for the popular Disneynature brand, Chimpanzee swung off with $10.7 million boosted by Earth Day and the simple presence of lovable primates.


Further exciting news was slim at the domestic box office, but the international scene continued to provide some notable successes. Battleship continued its early overseas assault, upping its take to a strong $129.6 million. It's outpacing the year's previous big budget projects including John Carter and Wrath of the Titans.

Titanic 3D continued to wow overseas (especially in China where the James Cameron rerelease has grossed $105.2 million). The disaster epic upped its goliath-like total to $225.4 million.

Four new releases parade into multiplexes next weekend, commanded by Aardman Animation’s The Pirates! Band of Misfits, which sets sail in 3,000-plus theaters. Rom-com The Five-Year Engagement isn’t far behind with 2,800 and thrillers Safe and The Raven both slink into around 2,000 theaters a piece.

 

 

 

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