Given that so many people were intent on seeing The Hunger Games the moment it came out, it's impressive that the popular literary adaptation only dropped 60% in its second weekend. $61.1 million is more than most movies can hope for their opening weekend, yet Hunger Games was able to follow up its impressive debut weekend with an uptick in attendance among one of the movie's more reluctant demographics--older males. This is a sure sign that the movie has broad appeal beyond its loyal fanbase. With $250 million already in the bank, this is Lionsgate's biggest hit yet. Combined with its merger/buyout of Summit, the two studios have the opportunity to grow from a mini-major to a major. This could be a moment people point to in the industry history books.
In second place, Wrath of the Titans debuted with $34.2 million, roughly in line with expectations. This action epic is all visual, with Greek gods and intricate battle sequences. So it's no wonder that the movie ruled the box office in non-English-speaking territories, while in English-speaking territories The Hunger Games reigned supreme. As the global box office grows, there can only be more room for films like Wrath of the Titans.
Coming in right behind Wrath, Mirror Mirror opened with $19 million. Although the comedic fairy tale got mixed reviews, its PG rating should bring in families with kids on spring break. Wrath is also hoping to take advantage of the school holiday, with both films hoping to build momentum for strong weekday grosses.
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen and indie dramedy Jeff Who Lives at Home both expanded into around 500 theatres this weekend, but Salmon Fishing was the clear winner. It earned $1.2 million to the second film's $675,000, with double the per-screen average. The first film had strong appeal among older viewers, which may have given the romance-drama a word-of-mouth boost.
The Weinstein Co.'s outrage over Bully's R rating didn't drum up quite as much business as I would have expected. Playing in five theatres, the anti-bullying doc averaged $23,000 per screen. That's a healthy number, but still far shy of the $60,000+ per-screens posted by some films during awards season.
The Island President was also a hot-topic documentary, earning $15,600 per screen on two screens. Given that documentaries can sometimes be tough sells and this isn't peak season, both Bully and Island President may end up playing quite well over a longer run.
This Friday, a re-release of Titanic in 3D will target nostalgia-seekers and younger viewers, and American Reunion will revive the American Pie franchise.
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