Date Night Pulls Off Slim Box Office Victory

It was expected to be a close race at the box office this weekend and that is exactly what we got. The Steve Carell-Tina Fey comedy Date Night squeaked out a first place finish with a little over $27 million. Wide spread appeal to both males and females provided strength and both Carell and Fey have delivered solid openings in the past.

Last weekend’s winner Clash of the Titans fell an expected 56% to just under $27 million. It has now collected $110 million but long term prospects are not good. Poor word of mouth and the spreading knowledge that the 3D is poorly done and not worth paying for has been damaging. Still it will end up being a very profitable movie since the budget was $125 million. This is the type of film that plays especially well overseas also.

In third, and dropping an astoundingly low 12% to $25 million, was How to Train Your Dragon. While it did not open huge it has held up remarkably well and now appears to be on its way to eventually passing $200 million. 3D ticket sales have helped but really it has just been genuine good word of mouth and a movie that plays well to all audiences.

1- Date Night $27.1 (OPEN)
2- Clash of the Titans $26.9 ($110.5)
3- How To Train Your Dragon $25.4 ($133.9)
4- Why Did I Get Married Too? $11.0 ($48.5)
5- The Last Song $10.0 ($42.4)
6- Alice in Wonderland $5.6 ($319.3)
7- Hot Tub Time Machine $5.4 ($36.9)
8- The Bounty Hunter $4.3 ($56.0)
9- Diary of a Wimpy Kid $4.1 ($53.7)
10- Letters to God $1.2 (OPEN)