'Hunger Games' outpaces 'Wrath,' 'Mirror Mirror'

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.

 

'Wrath of the Titans' goes up against 'The Hunger Games'

2010's Clash of the Titans became synonymous with bad 3D. The war-fantasy's sequel, Wrath of the Titans (3,545 theatres), will also release in 3D and IMAX, but this time around, "Strong 3D effects help make this worth seeing," according to FJI critic Daniel Eagan. He has generally positive things to say about the sequel, noting that "streamlined screenplay, tight editing and focused directing" help make the movie a good ride. However, even through Clash of the Titans earned half a billion dollars, Americans didn't like the movie: It has a 5/10 rating on IMDB and a 48% viewer approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, both lower than what one would expect. Everyone's expecting Wrath to be an international hit, but audiences at home may be less forgiving. A number shy of $40 million is expected for the action fantasy epic. The Hunger Games would have to drop more than 70% in order to come under $40 million, so it will likely retain its spot at the top of the box office.

One of two Snow White movies releasing this year, Mirror Mirror (3,603 theatres) is a family-friendly, PG-rated comedy. Unfortunately, the filmmakers' ideas are "so devoid of wit, fantasy and cinematic magic, [they] don’t even rise to a perfunctory sitcom level of entertainment," according to our David Noh, who detested the "sloppiness" of the direction. Former Pretty Woman Julia Roberts plays the evil, less-fair queen, but she lacks the "high style or comic technique to be truly fun." Despite these problems, family audiences could give this movie around $20 million this weekend--though its future may be more tepid.

After churning up outrage over Bully's R-rating, the Weinstein Co. will release the anti-bullying doc in five theatres as "unrated." AMC has announced it will let under-17s see the movie with a permission slip, which led the Parents Television Council to warn that this will undermine the whole rating system. It's true that this decision circumvents the MPAA, but I also feel there are so few films that fall in the category of Bully, it's unlikely this type of decision will happen more than once every several years. The doc "triumphs in driving home the problem and the attendant suffering," according to FJI critic Doris Toumarkine. Given how bullying has become such a hot topic, it's a worthy watch for parents, educators, and school-age kids.

Yet another hot-topic doc, The Island President, opened on Wednesday. The film profiles Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed's attempts to influence international policy on global warming. Nasheed has since been deposed, a threat to the country's democracy.

Two indies will expand this week. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen will move into 483 theatres. Mumblecore spawn Jeff Who Lives at Home will expand into 513 theatres. Both films are expected to earn in the $1 million range.

On Monday, we'll see how The Hunger Games fared, if audiences gave the Titans sequel a second chance, and if Mirror Mirror brought in Julia Roberts-loving mothers and their children.

 

The tale of the competing 'Snow Whites'

By Sarah Sluis

The success of Alice in Wonderland prompted Hollywood to furiously pursue other fairy tales. That means 2012 will bring two Snow White films. Relativity Media's Mirror Mirror will open first, on March 16. Summit's Snow White and the Huntsman will release in the summer, tentatively on June 1. I've previously scoffed at the idea of two Snow White films. After seeing the second film's trailer, which came out today, I've revised my thinking. Each take on the classic fairy tale is so different I actually think audiences won't mind.

Snow White and the Huntsman, which stars Charlize Theron as the evil queen and Kristen Stewart as Snow White, takes itself very, very, seriously. The trailer is reminiscent of all those male-dominated action movies about Greek gods--like Clash of the Titans and Immortals. Creepy special effects, like a black cape dissolving into thousands of crows, or the evil queen sucking the life out of a poor woman, may make the magic-infused action worthwhile.

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Mirror Mirror, however, is the unlikely winner. The trailer is surprisingly cheesy--word is the movie is going for a PG rating. But there's also a feeling that the movie's poking fun of conventions, in the style of Shrek or The Princess Bride. As the evil queen, Julia Roberts is self-involved but not too scary--her evil notch is only slightly higher than when she tried to steal the man in My Best Friend's Wedding. Armie Hammer (The Social Network, J. Edgar) proves himself a rising star as the prince who's in a love triangle with the queen and Snow White. There are actually dwarves in this version (at least in the trailer). It looks so bad it's good, something the Internet has already picked up on. Indiewire called it a "future camp classic."

Mirror, Mirror looks like it may have some groany laughs, but at least it doesn't take itself too seriously. Snow White and the Huntsman has more work ahead of it. All action and special effects and cavalries riding in to battle? Not my cup of tea. With each movie taking an entirely different route, however, it will be interesting to see if the light or dark vision of Snow White wins over more audiences.