'The Lorax' bests Disney behemoth 'John Carter'

With a reported $250 million production budget, John Carter needed to hit it big in order for Disney's investment to pay off. At least in the U.S., Disney won't be making back much of its money. The sci-fi epic opened to just $30.6 million, $5 million of which came from IMAX screens--the hangout of fanboys who may have been familiar with the source material, a 1912 serial by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Overseas, John Carter came up with $70 million, still not enough to make the movie an initial success. Disney's current business strategy involves focusing on projects with franchise potential that can create value across Disney's many platforms. These type of films often cost a great deal of money, and John Carter shows what happens when such would-be franchises don't resonate with audiences.

The Lorax, which won the weekend with $39.1 million, did not come from the traditional champion of animation, Disney, but Illumination Entertainment, which releases its films through Universal. The Dr. Seuss adaptation has charmed moviegoers but not jaded critics. Its 44% drop from opening weekend should level off in coming weeks. After earning $120 million in just ten days, it won't be long before the movie reaches $200 million and probably a spot in 2012's top ten.

A horror movie that appears to be shot in one long take, Silent House, came up with a middling $7 million. Scary pictures often open big, so it's surprising that this one didn't attract a larger audience. Young females are often the biggest demographic for horror titles, yet Elizabeth Olsen didn't appear to draw these women in.

Friends with Kids opened strongly, boding well for its expansion next week. The comedy's per-screen average of $5,800 was higher than most films in the top ten. Packed theatres = more laughter = positive word-of-mouth. With $2.7 million earned from its 374-theatre run, this comedy could end up being a modest success.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen did exceptionally well with older audiences, averaging $13,000 per screen in 18 locations. 70% of attendees were over the age of fifty. This demographic tends to be more discerning about the films they see, and word-of-mouth could bring this movie strong business in coming weeks.

Eddie Murphy's A Thousand Words was a flop, but it was actually one of Murphy's more successful flops. Instead of the $5 million opening typical of Murphy's recent films, this family-friendly comedy earned a whopping $6.3 million, not so bad for a movie that's been shelved for four years.

On Friday, it's all about comedy. Goofy cop movie 21 Jump Street will hit theatres, along with Will Ferrell's Spanish-language Case de Mi Padre and the indie laffer Jeff Who Lives at Home.