The ComingSoon.net Box Office Report has been updated with studio estimates for the weekend. Click here for the full box office estimates of the top 12 films and then check back on Monday for the final figures based on actual box office.
Walt Disney Pictures’ Alice in Wonderland took over the worldwide box office this weekend, earning $116.3 million domestically and $94 million overseas for three-day total of $210.3 million! The domestic figure from 3,728 theaters marks the sixth-biggest opening weekend of all time and is a new record for a film opening in March, destroying the $70.9 million that 300 made in 2007. It’s the biggest opening ever for Tim Burton (his previous top opener was Planet of the Apes‘ $68.5 million), the biggest non-sequel release of all time, and the biggest 3D release ever, besting the $77 million that Avatar earned in December. “Alice” is also the largest debut ever for a winter release, surpassing The Passion of The Christ ($83.8 million).
“Alice” took over the top spot in foreign markets from Avatar, which had been No. 1 for 11 consecutive weeks. Overseas, the film debuted at 5,600 theaters in 41 markets, which represents only about 60% of the international market. The $94 million marks the biggest international opening weekend ever for a movie released in the January-April period.
Alice in Wonderland also broke Avatar‘s previous IMAX record of $9.5 million by earning $11.9 million on 188 of the large format screens – that’s an average of $64,197 per site!
Directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Mia Wasikowska, Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Christopher Lee, Paul Whitehouse and Barbara Windsor, the fantasy-adventure was made for about $200 million.
In North America, Overture Films’ new crime-drama Brooklyn’s Finest opened in second place with an estimated $13.5 million from 1,936 theaters. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, the $25 million film averaged $6,973 per location.
Paramount’s Shutter Island dropped to third and added $13.3 million. Martin Scorsese’s psychological thriller, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, has reached $95.8 million in three weeks. The movie cost about $80 million to make.
Warner Bros.’ Cop Out, directed by Kevin Smith and starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, added $9.1 million its second weekend. The $30 million-budgeted comedy has collected $32.4 million in two weeks, making it Smith’s highest-grossing film so far.
James Cameron’s Avatar rounded out the top five with $7.7 million in weekend #12 to push its domestic total to $720.2 million. The 20th Century Fox release has reached $2.6 billion worldwide.
Overture’s The Crazies lost a big 56.3% of its first weekend ticket sales, earning $7 million for a total of $27.4 million. The film carried a budget of just $20 million.
In seventh place, Fox’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief added $5.1 million its fourth weekend for a total of $78 million.
IFC Films also released animated The Secret of Kells in just one New York theater where it earned an impressive $40,715.
Click here for the full box office results of the top 12 films.
