Two weak new entries shook up the charts in a lackluster weekend at the box office. Neither Hall Pass nor Drive Angry 3D could liven up the charts in February. Instead, Gnomeo and Juliet, an animated kid film in its third week, overtook first place by default with $14 million. Hall Pass settled for $13 million and runner up. Nicolas Cage’s latest action effort barely made the lineup with a ninth place debut; a paltry $5 million.
Studios are hit and miss this month with some films flopping and others modestly debuting but making back their cost. Consider, The Roommate, a passionless horror film clinging to number ten. That picture cost only $16 million but has made early $36 million in the month it’s been out. Not bad for a shallow effort. Drive Angry, on the other hand, cost $50 million to produce and made only a tenth of that this weekend. It is a wonder any executive would put their hard earned cash into a Nic Cage starrer, but rich people have money to burn.
Unknown did not quite have the premiere of Taken, but it still made back its cost in two weeks. Just Go With It did the same in three while I Am Number Four is not even close. By the way, it’s number five this week. On Oscar weekend, The King’s Speech is the only nominee still in the upper echelon of the charts with nearly $115 million in its coffers.
The Top Ten
1. Gnomeo and Juliet - $14.2M (weekend)…$75.1M (gross)
2. Hall Pass - $13.4M…$13.4M
3. Unknown - $12.4M…$42.8M
4. Just Go With It - $11.1.2M…$79.3M
5. I Am Number Four - $11.0M…$37.7M
6. Justin Bieber: Never Say Never - $9.2M…$62.7M
7. The King’s Speech - $7.6M …$114.5M
8. Big Mammas: Like Father, Like Son - $7.5M…$28.5M
9. Drive Angry 3D - $5.1M…$5.1M
10. The Roommate - $2.0M …$35.9M
A whopping four movies open this coming weekend. Before you movie fanatics get too excited, lower your expectations. Three out of these four films have been delayed. First up is Take Me Home Tonight, a comedy of the romantic sort starring Topher Grace, Anna Faris, and Teresa Palmer. A young and conflicted graduate lies to the girl of his dreams on one wild night in his life. This movie has been delayed for years, yes years. Delays are usually not a good sign of quality but 2,000 theaters have picked it up anyway.
The Adjustment Bureau is an intriguing thriller that also had an earlier release window bumped back. Matt Damon stars as a man on a mission to change the plan of his life against the will of the dark suited men of the titular bureau. Emily Blunt co-stars as his lover. It opens the second widest at 2,750 cinemas across the nation.
A teenage fantasy is also in the race. Does the modern take on Beauty and the Beast sound familiar? That’s because Beastly, as the adaptation is called, should have been released last year. Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical stars as the beauty to Alex Pettyfer’s beast. Mary-Kate Olsen appears as the witch: an odd choice if there was one. CBS Films is releasing this at 1,900 locations.
Finally, and most promisingly, the computer animated family film starring the voice of Johnny Depp. Rango is PG cuteness for the kids. It leads for highest theater count and will likely win the weekend. Catch it at one of 3,700 theaters nationwide this weekend.
