Box office report
It was a big weekend for remakes at the box office.
“Race to Witch Mountain,” the “re-imagining” of the 1970s Disney flick “Escape to Witch Mountain,” opened at No. 1 with $24.4 million, according to the Associated Press.
The remake of the ’70s horror movie “The Last House on the Left” was in third with $14.1 million.
Last week’s No. 1 movie, the film version of the acclaimed graphic novel “Watchmen,” nabbed $17.8 million for second place.
“Witch Mountain” fared better than anticipated. Still, Hollywood had its first down weekend in six weeks, according to the AP.
Factoring in 2009’s higher admission prices, the total take was down 16 percent compared to the same weekend last year, making it the first down weekend in six weeks. Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers, told the AP that the difference was the $45 million opening last year for the animated film “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who.”
I was no big fan of “Horton” – movie remakes of Dr. Seuss books define the concept of complicating art that is beautiful in its simplicity – but I can’t help but notice that 2009 has been short on animated films. It’s spring break here in Oklahoma and it seems wrong that we don’t have the option of catching an animated movie. That will change this weekend when DreamWorks’ 3D flick “Monsters vs. Aliens” opens.
Here are the weekend’s top 10 movies, from the AP:
1. “Race to Witch Mountain,” Disney, $24,402,214, 3,187 locations, $7,657 average, $24,402,214, one week.
2. “Watchmen,” Warner Bros, $17,817,301, 3,611 locations, $4,934 average, $85,751,993, two weeks.
3. “The Last House On the Left,” Universal, $14,118,685, 2,401 locations, $5,880 average, $14,118,685, one week.
4. “Taken,” Fox, $6,568,651, 2,858 locations, $2,298 average, $126,752,054, seven weeks.
5. “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail,” Lionsgate, $5,108,532, 2,203 locations, $2,319 average, $83,187,594, four weeks.
6. “Slumdog Millionaire,” Fox Searchlight, $5,002,777, 2,578 locations, $1,941 average, $132,602,820, 18 weeks.
7. “Paul Blart: Mall Cop,” Sony/columbia, $3,119,151, 2,281 locations, $1,367 average, $137,785,983, nine weeks.
8. “He’s Just Not That Into You,” Warner Bros., $2,939,484, 1,890 locations, $1,555 average, $89,038,259, six weeks.
9. “Coraline,” Focus Features, $2,718,231, 1,768 locations, $1,537 average, $69,240,852, six weeks.
10. “Miss March,” Fox, $2,409,156, 1,742 locations, $1,383 average, $2,409,156, one week.
-BAM
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