With some exceptions—The Silence Of The Lambs being the most prominent— the first two months of any year are traditionally a dumping ground for studio embarrassments, so it comes as no surprise that a trio of indifferently received (or worse) films posed no threat to Avatar in its fourth week. At $48.5 million, James Cameron’s unstoppable juggernaut grossed nearly three times its nearest competitors, Sherlock Holmes ($16.6 million) and Alvin And The Chipmunks: The Quickening ($15 million) respectively, which have performing steadily since Christmas. (If it’s possible to approach $200 million cumulative quietly, these films have managed it in Avatar’s shadow.)
That left the week’s new wide releases in a battle for fourth. Cashing in on the public’s lust for all things vampire-related, the modestly-budgeted Daybreakers opened at #4 with $15 million, and will have no doubt earned a straight-to-DVD sequel or two as a reward. The ultra-mild Amy Adams romantic comedy Leap Year opened in sixth at $9.2 million, her second straight disappointment following the D.O.A. Amelia Earhart biopic from last fall. That left poor Youth In Revolt to bow all the way down in ninth place with $7 million, deepening the problems at The Weinstein Company after Nine’s failure to launch.
Nothing much happening on the indie circuit, but it’s worth noting that Tim Allen’s directorial debut, Crazy On The Outside, despite a cast featuring Sigourney Weaver, Ray Liotta, J.K. Simmons, Kelsey Grammar, and Allen himself, opened to a mere $1,000 per screen average. Ouch.
For more detailed numbers, visit Box Office Mojo.