Film Weekend Per Screen LIFETIME
1 How to Train Your Dragon $43,300,000 $10,678 $43,300,000
2 Alice in Wonderland $17,300,000 (-49.4%) $5,112 $293,100,000
3 Hot Tub Time Machine $13,650,000 $4,956 $13,650,000
4 The Bounty Hunter $12,400,000 (-40.1%) $4,034 $38,812,000
5 Diary of a Wimpy Kid $10,000,000 (-54.8%) $3,244 $35,776,000
6 She’s Out of My League $3,526,000 (-39.2%) $1,450 $25,601,000
7 Green Zone $3,350,000 (-45.2%) $1,310 $30,440,000
8 Shutter Island $3,175,000 (-33.0%) $1,496 $120,600,000
9 Repo Men $3,048,000 (-50.2%) $1,210 $11,342,000
10 Our Family Wedding $2,200,000 (-41.2%) $1,943 $16,785,000

This just in: A family-based lulling.

For the first time since release, Avatar is now officially out of the top ten, though it still made $2 Million this weekend. It’s at $740, the DVD hits in three weeks. It’s almost over until the re-release.  

How to Train Your Dragon opened well enough. And it should also hopefully have good international numbers (big in Japan?), though I’m sure with some goosing it could have opened to Monsters Vs. Aliens numbers (a near $60). There may have been some inside baseball on that one with the ending of the Paramount/Dreamworks relationship that isn’t quite over yet – no one likes losing money, but they do like pissing on burnt bridges. This could be something of a long-play, as theoretically it could play into Shrek Forever After’s 5/21 opening if doesn’t lose too many 3-D screen to Clash of the Titans. But unless it levels it’s looking at $150-ish. That would make Foreign and ancillaries the saving graces. My guess is that there’s still a higher level of kids DVD’s being bought than other titles as parents tend to not be too snobbish about their children’s film collection, and if this isn’t “stab my eyes out, holy shit, holy god!” terrible, then it might be added to a collection.

Hot Tub Time Machine never got the x factor of hype. This may be because MGM is a wounded (probably dying) animal. These weekend numbers suggest that it will find a greater audience in cable. This is a disappointment for nearly everyone except the people who didn’t like it. Looking over the summer stats, the interesting to shit ratio this summer is petty amazing, in that this summer looks terrible until August 6, when The Other Guys opens against Step Up 3-D. But if high-concept comedy pitches don’t play, will studios move away from original material almost completely when it comes to blockbusters? I feel like we’re coming to a breaking point with this recycling, but obviously, people responded more to Alice in Wonderland than this. Perhaps they are wary of raunchy comedies, or they don’t have the same soft spot for Ski School or Private School.

Is the success of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland 3-D or girls? I err toward the latter at this late date, though many suggest it is the Avatar tail-wind of 3-D. If Alice stayed on some 3-D screens this weekend in anticipation of Clash of the Titans, think how bad the drop would have been had the ticket prices not been raised. By Friday-ish it should hit $300, but if Clash takes most of the 3-D screens, Alice could conceivably be out of the top ten next weekend, unless its appeal is transcendent of gimmickry. Anyone willing to bet on that? Either way? I think it’ll probably take a stomach punch, but it will get to $300 without question, and then fade.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a medium success, and The Bounty Hunter looks to be infinitely forgettable, but no one is looking at either of those like they were meant to be barn burners. She’s Out of My League is a little more disappointing, but may find some more audience – much like Hot Tub – via an unrated cut. But probably not. Green Zone is a big black eye, and this summer does not look promising for Universal. Repo Men is more of a water balloon, in comparison. Shutter Island hit $120, and still has some life.

Next weekend we’ll unleash the Kraken, you and I.