The box office results for the weekend of 6/1 – 6/3 gives Universal Pictures something to cheer about. After a series of financial, and mostly critical, duds, the latest retelling of Snow White gives the studio reason to celebrate during its centennial birthday year. Meanwhile, The Avengers can now begin to think about reaching the $600 million mark stateside. Here are the studio estimates:
1. Snow White and the Huntsman ($56.2 million)
2. Men in Black 3 ($29.3 million)
3. Marvel’s The Avengers ($20.3 million)
4. Battleship ($4.8 million)
5. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ($4.6 million)
6. What to Expect When You’re Expecting ($4.4 million)
7. Dark Shadows ($3.8 million)
8. Chernobyl Diaries ($3 million)
9. The Hunger Games ($1.5 million)
10. The Dictator ($1.3 million)
Analysis
Snow White and the Huntsman may have exceeded expectations (whatever those are, and whoever predicts this junk) but let’s not raise the victory flags just yet, kids. The production budget was $170 million alone and lord knows how much the marketing costs totaled. Granted, this product could receive an extra revenue stream off the character merchandise, but the real telling will be in how well this performs overseas. And to avoid being a complete party-crapper, this is pleasing the majority of audiences while the critical realm is fairly split.
Let’s face it, The Avengers is never going to experience the typical drop-off so many other flicks experience when having such a grand opening weekend. In its fifth week in release, the comic-book dream team dipped a respectable 45% from last week, increasing its ever-growing total to $552 million domestically. And that’s good enough to leave 2008’s The Dark Knight in its ship’s rear-view mirror on the all-time list. $600 million is now a reality; catching Titanic ($658.6 million) is a borderline fantasy.
The Hunger Games currently holds the longest streak in the top ten with 11 weeks. Lionsgate first mega-blockbuster sits at $398.3 million domestically.
P.S. Universal Pictures, Battleship is still sinking. But not as bad as Warner Bros. Chernobyl Diaries; which tumbled 65% in week #2. Fortunately, much like the flick itself, not much was put into it ($8 million production budget). Also falling faster than Facebook stock, is Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator; which plummeted 85% from last week (third weekend in theaters).
This Friday two big boys turn up the summer season. Prometheus will draw the Sci-Fi and adrenaline junkies while Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted will quarantine the fam-friendly crowd. Reviews will be right here my fellow Shockers!
