It hasn’t always been this way, but in the current box-office climate, Hollywood movies in general tend to drop 50% or more from their opening weekend take. The one exception: Family-oriented movies, which have a tendency to hold steady, especially when they’re the only kid-friendly game in town. Such was the case with last week’s winner, Megamind, which held onto first place with $30 million in receipts, dropping only 35% from the week before. (Contrast that with Due Date’s 52.5% drop or For Colored Girls 65.4% fall.) That left a trio of new releases scrambling for dollars: The Tony Scott-directed runaway train thriller Unstoppable fared best, collecting $23.5 million for second place, but in terms of return on investment, four-place finisher Skyline did perfectly well, earning $11.7 million against its resourcefully deployed $10 million budget. The week’s only unambiguous loser was Rachel McAdams-Harrison Ford-Diane Keaton comedy Morning Glory, which brought in a paltry $9.6 million for fifth.
In limited release, the much buzzed-about Tiny Furniture, from writer/director/star Lena Dunham, premiered in only one theater, but made the week’s highest per screen average with $22,450. Also performing at a high level was 127 Hours, which extended its opening week success with a $20,600 per screen average on 22 screens. It will be expanding to more markets soon, as Oscar season ramps up.
For more detailed numbers, visit Box Office Mojo.