The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend. Be sure to check back on Monday for final figures based on actual box office.
Continuing their tradition as the kings of the March comedy, Disney/Touchstone Pictures’ Wild Hogs put Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, John Travolta and William H. Macy on motorcycles on the road to an astounding estimated $38 million its opening weekend, an average of $11,560 per theatre. Proving that the sum is equal or greater to the parts, the comedy continues the 2007 tradition by becoming the biggest opening non-animated movie for both Allen and Travolta and Lawrence’s second-biggest opening movie after 2004’s Bad Boys II with Will Smith. It also continues the studio’s long-running tradition of kicking off March with a blockbuster comedy, having already shocked the world with the success of Bringing Down the House in 2003 and The Pacifier in 2005. Based on its estimated opening weekend, Wild Hogs is the third biggest opening movie for the month of March.
David Fincher’s first movie in four years, the true crime thriller Zodiac starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo, didn’t find nearly as much success as his previous film Panic Room, grossing an estimated $13.1 million in 2,362 theatres. One could presume that the $65 million film’s 2 and a half hour plus running time might have kept some of Fincher’s diehard fans away.
Meanwhile, Sony’s Ghost Rider gave up its place at the top, dropping to third with $11.5 million as it increased its cumulative gross to $94.7 million.
Dropping a single place to #4, Disney’s Bridge to Terabithia continues to bring in family business, adding $8.6 million over the weekend to its box office receipts of $57.9 million.
After a weak opening last week, Jim Carrey’s The Number 23 took a plunge, dropping 52% down to 5th place with $7 million for the weekend, having grossed $24.6 million in ten days.
Eddie Murphy’s latest comedy Norbit continues to get laughs, earning another $6.5 million in its fourth weekend, having grossed $82.9 million so far.
The Hugh Grant-Drew Barrymore rom-com Music and Lyrics took 7th place with $4.9 million, having accumulated $38.6 million in three weeks.
Reno 911!: Miami, based on the popular Comedy Central show, took a huge tumble in its second weekend, dropping a whopping 63% and five places, winding up at #9 with $3.7 million. It has grossed $16.4 million so far, compared to its $10 million production budget.
The Universal political thriller Breach rounded out the Top 10 with a third weekend take of $3.5 million and a total gross of $25.4 million.
Michael Apted’s historic epic Amazing Grace held up better than any other movie in the Top 15, adding another $3 million to its take of $8.2 million while Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls took another hit as it made $2.2 million, off 53% from last week. It still hasn’t made in three weeks what Perry’s last movie made opening weekend. Also hurt by the introduction of stronger fare, Warner Bros.’ The Astronaut Farmer, starring Billy Bob Thornton, also took a 52% hit as it fell out of the Top 12.
The top ten movies at the box office grossed roughly $100.8 million, up significantly from the first weekend of March in 2006.
Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films.
