For a second straight weekend, the box office tea leaves won't be fully read until Monday when final figures are released, but for now: Bow to Dragon! In its fourth week, the animated hit jumped from third place to first to capture the weekend crown, besting assumed winner, Kick-Ass. Those who still think the R-rated comic book movie isn't a major disappointment, should probably stop now. Strap on a codpiece, drop a few c-bombs and enjoy some weekend receipts.
1. How to Train Your Dragon
Gross: $20,000,000 ($158,618,000)
Screens: 3,825 (PSA: $5,229)
Weeks: 4 (change: -19.6%)
Remember when How to Train Your Dragon was considered a disappointment? Whoops! Buoyed by outstanding word of mouth -- and outstandingly high IMAX ticket prices -- the Dreamworks Animation hit jumped back to number one three weeks after its debut. If the results hold, Dragon will become the first film to have non-consecutive weeks at number one since The Chronicles of Narnia in 2005. Take that Pixar!
2. Kick-Ass
Gross: $19,750,000 (new)
Screens: 3,065 (PSA: $6,444)
Weeks: 1
Obviously, this isn't what everyone was expecting. Now to the important question: How long before Lionsgate trots out the "Kids bought tickets for How to Train Your Dragon but snuck into Kick-Ass!" defense?
3. Date Night
Gross: $17,300,000 ($49,246,000)
Screens: 3,380 (PSA: $5,118)
Weeks: 2 (change: -31.4%)
That the mostly mediocre Date Night had good enough word of mouth to only dip 31 percent from last weekend is just further proof that people simply love Tina Fey and Steve Carell. That they made this movie for 20th Century Fox and not NBC Universal -- y'know, the company that airs their sitcoms! -- is just another hilarious misstep for the fledgling studio.
4. Death at a Funeral
Gross: $17,000,000 (new)
Screens: 2,459 (PSA: $6,913)
Weeks: 1
Further indignity for Kick-Ass: Screen Gems's Death at a Funeral had a better per-screen average.
5. Clash of the Titans
Gross: $15,770,000 ($132,985,000)
Screens: 3,753 (PSA: $4,202)
Weeks: 3 (change: -40.8%)
Titans! Will! Thank Zeus that 3D tickets are so expensive!