Proof perhaps that Cop Out was less a failure of concept than a failure of execution, the Adam McKay-directed Will Ferrell-Mark Wahlberg buddy-cop comedy The Other Guys easily took the #1 spot in its opening weekend, earning $35.6 million to finally knock Inception off the top spot. (As consolation, Inception continued to drop only modestly, and added another $18.6 million to reach a $227.7 million domestic gross. Added that to international, and Nolan’s mind-bender is closer to half a billion.) The Other Guys also represented a slight improvement—$5 million better, roughly—over last summer’s McKay-Ferrell joint Step Brothers. The week’s other opener, Step Up 3-D, took third with $15.5 million, but considering its modest budget ($30 million), a modest debut like that will more than suffice. We’re looking forward to the dance franchise to open up a fourth dimension.
Lots of dire news in limited release. Despite subject matter that would seem to connect with scores of potential viewers—the Internet and porn—the Luke Wilson movie Middle Men earned a dismal $1200 per screen on 252 screens, and will have serious trouble even cracking $1 million before shuffling off to DVD. The news was somehow worse for the Joel Schumacher-directed indie Twelve, which took only $460 per screen on 231 screens; even after Batman & Robin, Schumacher’s career trajectory still remains on the downward slope. The news was better for the acclaimed-everywhere-but-here Israeli drama Lebanon, which enjoyed $8350 per screen on two screens.
For more detailed numbers, visit Box Office Mojo.