There was recently a modestly budgeted original sci-fi summer blockbuster with little previous awareness featuring a huge producer backing it. Sound familiar? In 2009, Neill Blomkamp released District 9 with the help of producer Peter Jackson. That film made around $37m its opening weekend, but went on to gross over $200m worldwide on its $30m budget.
This weekend, J.J. Abrams released his $50m budget original sci-fi summer blockbuster Super 8 with the help of Steven Spielberg. Making $37m, almost the exact same number as that 2009 hit, expect a similar strong word-of-mouth pattern to follow. Factor in Paramount’s expectation of only mid-$20 million and we have a success on our hands.
In second place was Matthew Vaughn‘s well-received X-Men: First Class making $25m, bringing its total to almost $100m domestically. The Hangover Part II grossed the $200m mark, making $18.5m in its third weekend. Kung Fu Panda 2 saw a small drop of 30% for a $16.6m weekend. Bridesmaids continues to be a massive success, only dropping 15.7%, making $10.1m in its fifth weekend, bringing its total to almost $125m.
Woody Allen‘s Midnight In Paris continues its barreling run, expending to almost 1,000 theaters and making $6.1m for a $14.2m total. The other new release of the weekend, Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer, didn’t leave a mark as it came in 7th place for only $6.2m. In limited releases, Michael Winterbottom‘s The Trip grabbed $84.6k from 6 theaters, while The Tree of Life almost cracked the top 10, bringing its total to $2.4m while only in 47 theaters.
Check out the Top 10 below.
1. Super 8 – $37m (debut)
2. X-Men: First Class – $25m – $98.8m
3. The Hangover Part II – $18.5m – $216.56m
4. Kung Fu Panda 2 – $16.63m – $126.9m
5. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – $10.8m – $208.77m
6. Bridesmaids – $10.15m – $123.9m
7. Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer – $6.26m (debut)
8. Midnight in Paris – $6.14m – $14.2m
9. Thor – $2.37m – $173.6m
10. Fast Five – $1.7m – $205m
Next week sees the release of Warner Bros. biggest blockbuster, Green Lantern, while 20th Century Fox releases Mr. Popper’s Penguins with Jim Carrey. In limited releases we have Fox Searchlight‘s The Art of Getting By, IFC’s Buck, and Magnolia’s Page One: Inside the New York Times.
What did you see this weekend? Will Green Lantern own next weekend?