The Movie Banter » Box Office

July 23rd – 25th Weekend Box Office: ‘Inception’ Main Ingredient Among Moviegoers

Nick Ondras — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:45:18 +0000

Terribly happy to see Christopher Nolan’s Inception stay on top again this weekend thanks to word-of-mouth and probable repeat viewings. The thriller conjured another $43.5 million, over Phillip Noyce’s Angelina Jolie-starring Salt, which came in at #2 with $36.5 million. If Inception had made that amount this weekend it would still have been impressive, especially since its $62.8 million debut seven days ago. Though Salt opened to decent critical acclaim, due for the most part its female-centric lead, I couldn’t give you a name of anyone too interested in seeing it. Salt deserved more maybe, but something like Inception comes along once every few years. Not much of a quote-unquote “return” for Angelina Jolie either; even Wanted’s $50.9 million opening against WALL•E in 2008 could match Salt’s. But hey, it sure isn’t bad. Inception’s ten day total is up to $143.7 million.

Despicable Me fell 26.5% to #3 with $24.1 million, complete haul of $161.7 million so far. Really the only kid’s movie out right now adults would probably be willing to sit through. Disney’s failed fare The Sorcerer’s Apprentice dropped 45% behind Despicable with $9.7 million, and Toy Story 3 rounded another $9 million.

Out of the top five-

Decently received, decently budgeted, and decently marketed Ramona and Beezus, based upon the novel by Beverly Cleary and showcasing Disney starlet Selena Gomez, played to $8 million in sixth place.
Indie hit The Kids Are All Right (which I’m still dying, dying, dying to see) came onto 163 more sites and was bumped up 148.8% for a $2.6 million weekend.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. Inception…$43.5 million
2. Salt…$36.5 million
3. Despicable Me…$24.1 million
4. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice…$9.7 million
5. Toy Story 3…$9 million
6. Ramona and Beezus…$8 million
7. Grown Ups…$7.6 million
8. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse…$7 million
9. The Last Airbender…$4.2 million
10. Predators…$2.9 million

July 16th – 18th Weekend Box Office: ‘Inception’ is Lit; ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ Burns

Nick Ondras — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:35:30 +0000

The idea of movies is alive and well thanks to Christopher Nolan (and you, America) this weekend, as his Inception hit #1 with $60.4 million. Nix The Dark Knight’s fantastic opening gross, Inception’s bow is so very impressive due to the fact no one could predict how Nolan’s thriller would have panned out. On a budget of $160 million marketing left much to the imagination, a tactic few flicks have benefitted from. Though by sticking to its guns here’s one that broke the rules, throwing audiences a few bangs for their buck. Glowing as we all should be from this, Inception is lit.

Despicable Me fell 42% to second running with $32.7 million. The animated movie’s racked up $118.4 million in ten days. Pretty great, considering what a shy little studio it came out of. Disney’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, directed by National Treasure’s hack Jon Turtletaub, crashed this weekend at #3 with $17.4 million. Though on less screens than Inception, you’d think this would have appealed to a more general audience. Opening midweek, Apprentice has only made $24.5 million thus far.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse continues to do well over preceding New Moon, grabbing $13.5 million this weekend in fourth place and $264.9 million in 19 days. Toy Story 3 inched a spot to #5 with $11.7 million.

Out of the top five-

The bizarre Standing Ovation (and I use that adjective because I’m not sure how much of an advantage the movie thought it had over Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Inception) debuted with $361,000 at 623 sites.
2008 Irish drama Kisses began with $14,600 at two sites.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. Inception…$60.4 million
2. Despicable Me…$32.7 million
3. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice…$17.4 million
4. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse…$13.5 million
5. Toy Story 3…$11.7 million
6. Grown Ups…$10 million
7. The Last Airbender…$7.5 million
8. Predators…$6.8 million
9. Knight & Day…$3.7 million
10. The Karate Kid (2010)…$2.2 million

July 9th – 11th Weekend Box Office: ‘Despicable’ Deprecation all Around

Nick Ondras — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:03:43 +0000

Didn’t see this one starting with such a bang: the animated Despicable Me, dropping onto 5,200 screens, made an entire $60.1 million kit this weekend. It managed to top The Twilight Saga: Eclipse even, by almost $30 million. Of course inflation for 3D tickets added a bundle to this sum, but near $30 million past Eclipse in only the latter’s second weekend?!? Nix anything Pixar or anything devilishly original in the two-dimensional world, this is the highest take-in since 2008’s Kung Fu Panda’s opening weekend. After Bruce Almighty this is also Steve Carell’s biggest debut of his career.

Falling 48.5% to #2, Eclipse made another $33.4 million, bringing its grand total to $237 million thus far. Officially surpassing the numbers New Moon was boasting its second weekend last year. Nimród Antal’s decently received Predators began with $25.3 million in third place. Though a steady performance, the creature-feature still couldn’t beat out Aliens vs. Predator, which debuted with $38.3 million in 2004. Should be fun to see where this one ends up on the charts with Christopher Nolan’s Inception ready to drop next weekend. Sad to see this one be nothing above filler.

Toy Story 3 rounded $22 million at #4, slipping 27.3% from last tally. Massive boom so far: $340.2 million in four weeks, these past few days elapsing Alice in Wonderland as the highest-grossing movie of 2010. M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender rounds us out in fifth with $17.2 million, a huge 57.5% drop from last weekend’s neck-and-neck runner-up with Eclipse. It’s passed the century mark in less than ten days, but maybe word-of-mouth will prevent it from growing any further.

Out of the top five-

The Duplass brothers’ Cyrus, starring Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei, hit its first weekend with over $1 million ($1.4 million) at #10 after a boost of over 120 sites.
Daniel Alfredson’s adaptation of Stieg Larson’s The Girl Who Played with Fire, sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo opened with $965,000 at 110 sites.
Lisa Chilodenko’s The Kids Are All Right, which I’m currently overjoyed to see, posed $505,000 at 110 sites, striking the largest per-screen average this weekend by far with $72,143. Yowza.
The Sing-a-Long re-issue of 1978’s cult hit Grease lapped up $78,000 at twelve sites.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. Despicable Me…$60.1 million
2. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse…$33.4 million
3. Predators…$25.3 million
4. Toy Story 3…$22 million
5. The Last Airbender…$17.2 million
6. Grown Ups…$16.4 million
7. Knight & Day…$7.9 million
8. The Karate Kid (2010)…$5.7 million
9. The A-Team…$1.8 million
10. Cyrus…$1.4 million

July 2nd – 4th Weekend Box Office: Just a Couple of Guys Aimed at Girls

Nick Ondras — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 23:27:03 +0000

What’s a “Twilight”? Money, baby. This weekend alone Summit’s Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third film off Stephenie Meyer’s novel series, spread like wildfire at #1 with $69 million. No surprise, really. Don’t count that against New Moon’s intake of $142.8 million in November ‘09. Eclipse bowed last Wednesday, selling out midnight showings and conjuring $68.5 million in 24 hours alone. Breaking Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’s record of highest gross on a non-weekday. After a vapid fall on Thursday and steady declines about the weekend, it also became eighth quickest movie to pass the century-and-a-half mark. Altogether, Eclipse has slummed up $161 million. Maybe now if the quality was, I don’t know, able to meet the profits halfway? Don’t shoot the messenger.

M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender (which I’ve vowed never to speak of again after it slips from the top ten) also performed steadily with $40.7 million at #2; Shyamalan’s third-biggest opening. Eclipse wasn’t in 3D, though. Can’t believe I’ve resorted to defending it…

Toy Story 3 dipped 49.1% to third with $30.2 million, domestic total of $289 million. Already 42^nd highest-making flick of all time and Pixar’s third biggest, only three weeks out. Grown Ups saw a steeper fall (and there are some pretty steep falls cooked up in this one) of 54.3% with $18.5 million at #4. Lastly, Knight & Day rattled $10.2 million in fifth place, total of $45.8 million in twelve days. In lesser words, a bomb.

Out of the top five-

Cyrus finally cracked the top ten with $770,000 at 77 sites.
Critical catastrophe Love Ranch, starring Joe Pesci and Helen Mirren, opened to $49,500 at eleven sites.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse…$69 million
2. The Last Airbender…$40.7 million
3. Toy Story 3…$30.2 million
4. Grown Ups…$18.5 million
5. Knight & Day…$10.2 million
6. The Karate Kid (2010)…$8 million
7. The A-Team…$3 million
8. Get Him to the Greek…$1.2 million
9. Shrek Forever After…$799,000
10. Cyrus…$770,000

June 25th – 27th Weekend Box Office: ‘Toy Story’ Grows Up

Nick Ondras — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 21:34:08 +0000

The Toy Story franchise continues to grow old gracefully. This weekend its second sequel remained on top by a large standard, nailing Grown Ups with a tacked-on $18 million to a grand total of $59 million. In only ten days Pixar’s acclaimed annual fling has brought in $226.6 million. That’s $89.4 million than Up was high on its second weekend out. I’m glad this is so big for many reasons, and I’d like to believe people are seeing it multiple times because of how fantastic it is. When really, what else would you see?

Grown Ups scored at #2 with an estimated $41 million. This ticks me off. Where were these people when Funny People dropped last summer? I don’t mean to rank on anyone who saw it, I just think these numbers are actually promoting the theory audiences fear originality or something slightly offbeat. Instead let’s watch Kevin James dance with a chicken bucket on his head. I pray to the sky whoever saw this only did so to witness how bad it actually was.

Knight and Day debuted behind the Sandler stock with $20.5 million. James Mangold’s action-comedy was slated for release last Wednesday, where it pretty much bombed. June 23^rd, while Toy Story 3 nabbed another $13.5 million Tom Cruise’s vehicle lagged behind with $3.8 million. It’s only down from here, folks. Fox has yet to release the budget but it had to have been spectacular.

Last two slots were filled by The Karate Kid with $15.4 million and The A-Team with $6 million. Ballpark difference between their complete totals is about $72.8 million. I’ll let you decide which ‘80s balloon has thus far been more inflated.

Out of the top five-

Mark and Jay Duplass’s comedy Cyrus earned another $300,000 after another expansion, with a per-screen average of $17,000, the biggest for any movie being shown on more than one screen.
German drama Wild Grass began with $35,700 at five sites.
Afghanistan war doc Restrepo started with $30,500 at two sites.
Oliver Stone’s documentary South of the Border, chronicling tensions surrounding South America, rolled up $21,000.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. Toy Story 3…$59 million
2. Grown Ups…$41 million
3. Knight and Day…$20.5 million
4. The Karate Kid (2010)…$15.4 million
5. The A-Team…$6 million
6. Get Him to the Greek…$3 million
7. Shrek Forever After…$2.9 million
8. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time…$2.8 million
9. Killers…$2 million
10. Jonah Hex…$1.6 million

June 18th – 20th Weekend Box Office: ‘Toy Story 3’ rides like the Wind

Nick Ondras — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 22:58:44 +0000

Sorry for that initial pun. I just couldn’t be happier right now. Pixar’s Toy Story 3 has made $109 million only three days out, second highest-grossing opening weekend for an animated movie that isn’t Shrek the Third. The flick also had the highest opening day of any animated film, surpassing Shrek the Third with $41 million on Friday. Needless to say a personal best for Pixar, considering TS3 may damn well be their best film to date. The threequel boasted $38.7 million more than last year’s Up, which debuted to $68.1 million and went on to score of $293 million domestic overall. This is amazing. Toy Story 3 never dropped more than 20% daily since its bow last Friday, showing serious potential to be one hell of a breadwinner for both Disney and Pixar alike, as well as the summer’s biggest flick. Brava, America. You’ve done well.

Somewhere at the bottom of the mountain of Toy Story’s immense brouhaha, The Karate Kid grabbed $29 million at #2, snagging 47.9% from its surprise opener last weekend. That makes for a ten day sum of $106.3 million. Still doing awesome. The A-Team dropped a spot to #3 with $13.8 million, falling 46.3%. Joe Carnahan’s ‘80s adaption may not be as hot as Karate Kid but its total in ten days is $49.8 million.

Nicholas Stoller’s Get Him to the Greek scaled further down the seven-digit chain with $6.1 million at #4. The comedy is obviously not this year’s Hangover as I believe must have been planned for it, however it has now made back its budget and then some, a three-week total of $47.9 million. It’ll probably surpass Forgetting Sarah Marshall’s domestic haul, which was only $63.2 million and was released in a spring month.

Shrek Forever After fell a whopping 65% to fifth place with $5.5 million this weekend, losing most of its 3D screens to Woody and the gang. Its total so far is up to $223 million. I wouldn’t complain too much.

Out of the top five-

Jimmy Hayward’s stinker Jonah Hex bombed at #8, bringing in only $5.1 million. About a million bucks less than Jennifer’s Body opened to last September. At least we can take some comfort in that.
Mani Ratnam’s Raavan debuted with $551,000 at 119 sites; moreover proving Indian movies are actually able to survive this side of the grass.
The Duplass brother’s Cyrus began with $180,300 at only four sites. Hyped at both Sundance and SXSW festivals earlier this year, the dramedy should do even better as it creeps onto more screens throughout the summer. And with a Tomatometer score of 77% and Certified Fresh, this could be the season’s breakout hit. Exciting, right? I’m jonesing to see this.
Luca Guadagino’s Italian-set love story I Am Love, starring Tilda Swinton, started off with $125,000 at eight sites.
Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black-narrated doc 8: The Mormon Proposition open to $48,100 at 16 sites.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. Toy Story 3…$109 million
2. The Karate Kid (2010)…$29 million
3. The A-Team…$13.8 million
4. Get Him to the Greek…$6.1 million
5. Shrek Forever After…$5.5 million
6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time…$5.3 million
7. Killers…$5.1 million
8. Jonah Hex…$5.1 million
9. Iron Man 2…$2.7 million
10. Marmaduke…$2.7 million

Happy Father’s Day, banterers.

June 11th – 13th Weekend Box Office: Kung Fu Kids Kick Aside Mushroom Clouds

Nick Ondras — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 01:45:55 +0000

Who saw this coming? The Karate Kid whooping The A-Team’s adrenaline-soaked buttocks into second place, while it debuted to #1 with $56 million. Up against a movie with a sly running time of 110 minutes, Karate Kid holding one of about two hours, six you’d think the more brainless actioner would nab top ranking. But you’d be thinking wrongly. Easily the highest opening gross of director Harald Zwart’s professional career, Jaden Smith filling the shoes originally worn by ‘80s star Ralph Macchio also proved beneficiary to not only the cast and crew, but to this summer’s weak box office bang thus far. Last weekend Shrek Forever After dram up a mere $25.5 million, whereas last year at that time The Hangover was well on its way to becoming the smash hit of the year. In terms of profit dynamos, this upcoming season seems pretty lame. Karate Kid made up for lost time. Toy Story 3 should have a massive impact on the nation’s ticket trigger finger next weekend, but maybe we wrote off this family-friendly heartwarmer before Will Smith’s son could even drop a lower jab. Hiyah!

Joe Carnahan’s reboot of The A-Team proved a startling disappointment. On a budget of $110 million it managed $26 million in second place, playing on nearly as many screens as Karate Kid, which had a budget of only $40 million. I can’t speak on behalf of the latter; however I really enjoyed The A-Team’s nonsensical whimsy, cheese and all. Still, it topped Carnahan’s previous breadwinner Smokin’ Aces, which debuted to $14.6 million in January of 2007. Shame this was the blockbuster America decided to ignore. Nothing harsh, America. We’re still cool.

Shrek Forever After stooped 38% in its fourth run, conjuring up another $15.8 million. Total: 210.1 million smackeroonies. Get Him to the Greek saw an average fall-off of 42.5%, grossing $10.1 million. Forgetting Sarah Marshall noted less its second weekend, however Marshall didn’t grapple $36.5 million in ten days. Robert Luketic’s Killers continues down the charts, doing up $8.2 million. I didn’t bother too much to cleverly spell out that last sentence. I figured, hey, if the movie doesn’t…

Out of the top five-

Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg’s documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work broke bank with $170,580, scoring the highest per-screen average of any movie this weekend with $24,368.
Debra Granick’s incredibly well-received Sundance award-winner Winter’s Bone made $85,400 in a limited release.
Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky baked $48,800.
Streak-of-luck doc The Lottery tapped $17,200 at a single site.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. The Karate Kid (2010)…$56 million
2. The A-Team…$26 million
3. Shrek Forever After…$15.8 million
4. Get Him to the Greek…$10.1 million
5. Killers…$8.2 million
6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time…$6.6 million
7. Marmaduke…$6 million
8. Sex and the City 2…$5.5 million
9. Iron Man 2…$4.6 million
10. Splice…$2.9 million

June 4th – 6th Weekend Box Office: ‘Shrek’ Makes another Pass; No ‘Hangover’ for ‘Greek’, ‘Splice’

Nick Ondras — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 23:38:02 +0000

Of the three new wide releases out this weekend, Shrek Forever After remained on top, this time with $25.3 million. Not much of surprise but not much of a failure for the previously aforementioned flicks. Since Friday, it’s just been a…weekend at the movies. Though considering this to be the first tally in June, following up a less-than-spectacular May, maybe more was to be expected. Shrek has gone on to gross over $183 million in revenue since its release, whereas at this time in 2007 Shrek the Third had already bagged about $100 million more than that total. All in all just a whole bunch of meh. Most likely The A-Team will knock the DreamWorks animation from its throne next time we meet, but until then enjoy being called the “best comedy of the year”, Shrek. I aspire no one is still preaching that come August.

Nicholas Stoller’s comedy Get Him to the Greek finished at #2 with $17.4 million, just a few hundred-thousand off from Stoller’s preceding Forgetting Sarah Marshall came to in 2008. Bad news is this is Judd Apatow’s worst opening to a movie which he served as producer of since 2008, but by no means as far a cry as Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story’s weak $4.2 million debut in ‘07. Though this amount doesn’t deserve to be beseeched, just not bedazzled in the same jewels Knocked Up or Superbad were decorated with. I wish you the best of luck in the coming weekends, Greek. Hopefully you’re not lost in Hollywood clutter.

Robert Luketic’s Killers saw to $16.1 million at 2,859 sites, pretty off from Luketic’s past team-up with starlet Katherine Heigl in The Ugly Truth, which just last summer was pelted with negative response and a start-up of $27.6 million. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time slipped 53.8% to #4 with $13.9 million, a total of $59.5 million in ten days. Not exactly Pirates of the Caribbean numbers.

Sex and the City 2 stooped even further, dropping a whopping 59.2% to #5 with $12.7 million. The first Sex and the City movie also noted a rather large fall its second break out, from #1 in its debut to #4 with $21.2 million two Sundays from then. Anyway numero dos has hauled in $73.4 million in ten days, still trying to reach a budget of $100 million domestically. What are the girls to do?

Out of the top five-

Critical train wreck Marmaduke, as of this writing holding an 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, received a weekend paycheck of $11.3 million at #6, surely from combined ticket prices of bored families. No offense, families. I just don’t see why any of you felt the need to see this. Plus playing at 3,213 sites (both Get Him to the Greek and Killers were only in the 2,000s range) Marmaduke didn’t even crack the top five. Shrek too is still showing at over 4,000 areas. Is it too early to issue a “bah humbug”?
Vincenzo Natali’s Sundance hit Splice opened at #8 with $7.5 million, something to celebrate after Natali’s Cube drummed up only a few thousand bucks in ’98. Splice was far more commercial as well, even if I was unable to find a theater not too far from me that was playing it. Congrats, Natali.
Prahash Jha’s Raajneeti made some considerable damage at #11 with $917,000 at 124 sites, even if critics weren’t so hot on it.
Alejandro Amenábar’s Agora had the highest per-screen average of any movie this weekender, new or old. Grossing another $43,500, the drama called for $300 more than its original debut last weekend.
Barbara Brancaccio’s doc Cropsey played to $6,500.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Monday-

1. Shrek Forever After…$25.3 million
2. Get Him to the Greek…$17.4 million
3. Killers…$16.1 million
4. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time…$13.9 million
5. Sex and the City 2…$12.7 million
6. Marmaduke…$11.3 million
7. Iron Man 2…$7.8 million
8. Splice…$7.5 million
9. Robin Hood…$5.1 million
10. Letters to Juliet…$3 million

May 28th – 31st Weekend Box Office: ‘Shrek’ Picks Up ‘Sex’ and ‘Persia’ Sloppy Seconds

Nick Ondras — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 02:47:15 +0000

Last Memorial Day weekend another animated flick led the charts, Disney-Pixar’s Up. In the era of 2010 however, the probable lesser-remembered Shrek Forever After is at numero uno with $55.7 million over the four-day break. With such varied flicks dropping last Friday (or Thursday), in particular Sex and the City 2 and Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, it’s funny how no one seemed to care all too much. Not celebrate veteran memoriam with four aged cougars and noisy desert action? This is America, by God. Shrek’s total is up to $145.4 million in ten days, still a mighty step below preceding Shrek the Third, which at this point had $203.4 million in the bag. Ouch.

R-rated indulgence didn’t spread galore at the movies, but in regards to fans of the hit (and now cancelled) HBO original series, Sex and the City 2 wasn’t a complete disaster. Sure, Sex and the City opened to $57 million atop the charts in summer 2008. The sequel has already lapped up $79 million worldwide and $37.1 million domestic on a budget of $100 million, half of Prince of Persia’s, which debuted to $37.8 million in front of Sex. The Bruckheimer-produced blockbuster managed better critical reviews than City did (Persia: 40% on Rotten Tomatoes; Sex: 16%) but couldn’t overcome sloppy marketing tactics. Read more on that in our review of the film.

Iron Man 2 fell 21.9% to #4 with $20.6 million, total of $279.2 million so far. Trailing behind was Robin Hood with $13.6 million.

Out of the top five-

Acclaimed crime comedy Micmacs, from co-writer-director Jeane-Pierre Jeunet of Oscar-nominated Amélie fame, opened to $56,700 at four sites.
Historical play Agora rung up $43,200 at two sites.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Monday-

1. Shrek Forever After…$55.7 million
2. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time…$37.8 million
3. Sex and the City 2…$37.1 million
4. Iron Man 2…$20.6 million
5. Robin Hood…$13.6 million
6. Letters to Juliet…$7.3 million
7. Just Wright…$2.7 million
8. Date Night…$2.3 million
9. MacGruber…$1.9 million
10. How to Train Your Dragon…$1.5 million

May 21st-23rd Weekend Box Office: Shrek’s Final Chapter Slips between the Cracks; ‘MacGruber’ Gets Lost

Nick Ondras — Sun, 23 May 2010 21:17:33 +0000

DreamWorks bigwigs can keep their hats on – Shrek Forever After, the supposed final entry into the Shrek franchise, opened pretty well. With $71.3 million now stashed away, the animated flick managed to outsource 2001’s Shrek but was unable to score profits in the triple-digit range the way predecessors Shrek the Third and Shrek 2 did. After Solitary Man’s $22,250, Shrek had the highest per-screen average at $16,345. Knocking How to Train Your Dragon off 869 screens (but still remaining in the top ten), Forever After boasted a decent-enough sum if you ask me. I wouldn’t declare it a disappointment but I also can’t say it’s all too impressive; more like expected. MacGruber’s weekend bow was buzzed about yet had zero chance of topping Shrek. Its only real competition was Iron Man 2, which dropped 48.9% to #2 after staying on top for two weekends. Jon Favreau’s blockbuster grossed $26.6 million, already sacking $251.3 million three weeks out.

Surprisingly enough Robin Hood had a slightly lesser stoop than Iron Man did. Ridley Scott’s period piece about the notorious medieval thief fell 48.1% after opening to $14.9 million less than the aforementioned summer epic. The movie made $18.7 million, a total of $66.1 million in ten days. Hear me out; I still say this is one that will soon be forgotten by most and left to die. Summit’s Letters to Juliet, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Amanda Seyfried, dove a steady 32.8% at #4 clutching $9.1 million. Total: $27.4 million on a budget that has yet to be officially released.

Fox Searchlight’s Just Wright tacked another $4.2 million to its ten-day haul of $14.6 million at 1,831 sites.

Out of the top five-

Universal’s MacGruber was the biggest let-down, grossing a mere $4.1 million after summoning only seven-digit numbers all weekend. Nix It’s Pat and Stuart Saves His Family, Will Forte’s action spoof currently holds the lowest opening for an SNL sketch-to-screen adaptation. Couldn’t even top the last Lorne Michaels-produced comedy Baby Mama, which was released in April 2008, or Hot Rod’s measly $5.3 million debut. After premiering at the South by Southwest film festival a few months ago MacGruber was shining a 100% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score. As of Friday it’s been demoted to 54% rotten. I wish I could have made it out this weekend and brought friends to see it. Despite everything that the movie has gone through it remains a must-see.

Anarag Basu’s Kites played to #10 with $1 million at 208 sites.

Soderbergh vets Brian Koppelman and David Levien saw Solitary Man, starring Michael Douglas and Jesse Eisenberg, to the beat of $89,000 at four areas.

Racing Dreams, which I believe is being remade for the States crowd, drummed up $21,500 at 33 sites.

Documentary After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United grossed $3,300 at one site.

Here are the box office results according to studio estimates Sunday-

1. Shrek Forever After…$71.3 million
2. Iron Man 2…$26.6 million
3. Robin Hood…$14.9 million
4. Letters to Juliet…$9.1 million
5. Just Wright…$4.2 million
6. MacGruber…$4.1 million
7. Date Night…$2.8 million
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)…$2.3 million
9. How to Train Your Dragon…$1.9 million
10. Kites…$1 million