Who would have thought Arthur, a much maligned and in no way funny comedy starring Russell Brand would lead the pack of new movies this weekend. The only consolation is that its $12.6 million premiere was only good enough for second place. The bad news is his even less amusing animated effort held number one for the second week in a row. Hop added $21.6 million to its now $68.1 million tally putting it right on level with Rango.
Hanna was a pleasant surprise, bringing in the highest critical rating and $12.3 million. Soul Surfer also met expectations, coming in at fourth place with $11.1 million. Both films were female led and garnered positive audience reaction different than the estrogen filled Sucker Punch. It seems only Your Highness was a real flop. The stoner comedy barely registered with $9.5 million. That was not enough to top second week holdover Insidious which boasts $27 million total.
Sucker Punch already fell off the charts. I almost feel sorry for Zack Snyder —almost. Rango, Paul, and Battle: Los Angeles followed it into the pits, albeit with less shame.
The Top Ten
1. Hop - $21.6M (weekend)…$68.1M (gross)
2. Arthur - $12.6M…$12.6M
3. Hanna - $12.3M…$12.3M
4. Soul Surfer - $11.1M…$11.1M
5. Insidious - $9.7M…$27.0M
6. Your Highness - $9.5M…$9.5M
7. Source Code - $9.0M …$28.6M
8. Limitless - $5.6M…$64.3M
9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules - $4.8M…$45.4M
10. The Lincoln Lawyer - $4.6M …$46.4M
Blockbuster season is almost here, and that is evident in the tentpoles arriving just before May. Out this weekend are Scream 4 and Rio, two highly attractive movies that will bring out hordes of fans. Given both Rango and Hop have been among the most successful movies of the year, this animated first-of-its-kind could become a long running series if it makes anything near projections, $35-40 million. The real attraction for most adults without kids will be Wes Craven’s latest Ghostface nightmare, Scream 4.
3,300 locations, about 500 less than Rio, will run with the fourth installment of the horror satire which made $293 million domestic. Although horror is a genre that rarely makes much at the bank, this feature boasts prominent stars and younger starlets that will draw a bigger than usual audience. Studios are expecting $20 million, but strong reviews may give it a boost.
