1. The Lorax- $70.7M
The Lorax was by no means a sure thing for Universal or Illumination Entertainment. While there was little in the way of family entertainment this season, we're still talking about one of Dr. Seuss' more message heavy novels, which may have turned some parents off who...I guess don't want their kids to learn a thing or two? Whatever, the fact remains the gamble paid off big time, as The Lorax became the biggest opener this year, crushing the $41M debut of The Vow. It also became the highest opening film yet for Universal's animated division, surpassing Despicable Me's $56M. This was probably the best possible time to release the film, as it should have many weeks without any direct competition.While some of these numbers can be attributed to IMAX and 3D screenings, this is a huge win for Universal and it's probably gonna make some right wing idiots cry with fear over children becoming eco-terrorists or something.
2. Project X- $20.8M
So Warner Brothers wasn't exactly targeting the same demo as The Lorax, but they must also be very happy with the first week haul for Project X, an experimental film featuring no stars and a premise guaranteed to keep some folks away. The only name draw was producer Todd Phillips, the comedy heavyweight behind Old School and The Hangover, and the marketing made heavy use of that fact. His brand of male dominated fratboy humor appears to have had the desired effect, as the demo skewed heavily to young males, who gave it a stunning 'A' Cinemascore. This makes for the second, overwhelmingly successful "found footage" film this year alone, proving that the genre is becoming more acceptable and viable.
3. Act of Valor- $13.7M/$45.2M
Dipping 44% from last week, the military recruitment film continues to excel, although it remains to be seen how profitable it turns out after what was a hefty marketing blitz. The production budget hovered around the $12M reportedly. Think about it, though, this movie will be played in high schools and recruitment branches all across the country for eternity. So if the Navy can make a few dollars in the process, more power to them.
4. Safe House- $7.21M/$108M
5. Good Deeds- $7M/$25.7M
Now that all the church groups are done making their weekend trip to see Tyler Perry's new film, it suffers the typical second week drop, crashing 55%.
6. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island- $6.92M/$85.6M
$247M worldwide. Trust in The Rock.
7. The Vow- $6.1M/$112M
8. This Means War- $5.62M/$41.5M
9. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance- $4.7M/$44.9M
10. The Artist- $3.9M/$37.1M
A mixed bag for The Artist, with The Weinstein Company expanding it to over 1700 theaters in the wake of it's Best Picture victory last weekend. It paid off to some extent, with the film having it's best domestic weekend yet and jumping back into the Top 10, but the per site average was still a paltry $2200, meaning it probably won't be long before it goes silent from the charts for good. Expect it to thrive on DVD, though.
