In a development that shocked box-office prognosticators nationwide, the French documentary Babies fell well short of opening in the top spot last weekend, despite the near-universal feeling among the moviegoing public that babies are sweet, adorable, and have cheeks that are oh-so-soft and pinchable. Instead, the robot sequel Iron Man 2 opened at #1, taking an absurd $134 million over a three-day stretch (plus midnights), the fifth largest such opening in box-office history. It also advanced on the first Iron Man’s (also obscene) $99 million opening weekend, despite reviews that were less charitable this time around. (Not that there’s any relation whatsoever between the steamroller-like behemoths of summer and anyone who stands in their way.) The big question for Iron Man 2 is how it’ll stand up this weekend when it faces another behemoth in the form of Robin Hood: Will it hold steady for the long haul or diminish as the next big thing comes along? As for Babies, it snuck into the Top 10 at the bottom slot with $1.6 million, but on only 534 screens, its (still middling) average of $3000 per screen was better than any Top 10 movie aside from Iron Man 2.
Not much action in limited release, with the Naomi Watts-Annette Benning-Kerry Washington drama Mother And Child doing solid business with $11,100 per screen on four screens and Multiple Sarcasms living down to its historically awful title with $1,190 per screen on 15 screens, which won’t be enough to recoup its budget, but may be enough to purchase a modest, fuel-efficient sedan.
For more detailed numbers, visit Box Office Mojo.