'Brave' soars to $67 million, with audiences opting for 2D

Pixar continues its strong box office record with Brave, which debuted to $66.7 million. That's slightly more than the $66.1 million debut of Cars 2 last year. 66% of revenue came from 2D screenings. Since 2D has lower ticket prices, that means an even greater percentage of audiences opted for 2D. I've heard a few anecdotes from people who planned to see a movie in 2D but ended up paying extra to see the 3D version only because the 2D screening was sold out. The true amount of audiences who prefer 2D may even be higher. However, since audiences abroad opt for 3D, it's likely to continue to be an option for big-budget tentpoles.

Even with competition from Brave, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted only dipped 40% to $20.2 million.  It appears audiences are hungry for animated options, but they won't have another one until Ice Age 3 opens July 13.

Debuting in third place, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter netted $16.5 million. 45% of revenue for the horror-action-alternative history hybrid came from 3D, indicating that a male, fanboy audience is more keen on the format. The release earned a dismal C+ rating on CinemaScore, indicating this the flick already has a stake through its heart.

Steve Carell and Keira Knightley didn't entice audiences to check out Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, which averaged a low $2,300 per screen for a total of $3.8 million. Perhaps the apocalyptic romantic comedy should have been even more limited to ensure a higher opening per-screen average, but calls like that are difficult to make. In comparison, Moonrise Kingdom occupied the spot below with $3.4 million in its fifth week, while still playing on only a quarter of the screens.

Woody Allen films typically open big, so it's no surprise that a five-screen release of To Rome, With Love netted $75,000 per screen, the second-highest of the year. However, middling reviews should ensure this won't be another breakout hit like last year's Midnight in Paris.

This Friday, Seth MacFarlane of "Family Guy" voices a raunchy bear in Ted, long lost siblings reunite in People Like Us, Channing Tatum plays a male stripper in Magic Mike, and Tyler Perry returns with Madea's Witness Protection.