Weekend Receipts: Shrek Hits the Fan

When is an animated movie that opens with $71 million -- thus making it one of the four best animated openings in history -- considered a humongous disappointment? When it's Shrek Forever After. The supposed final chapter in the Dreamworks Animation smash series easily topped the box office over the weekend, but wound up opening to $50 million less than Shrek The Third did just three years ago. Guess people really didn't like that one, huh? Dig up your most dated cultural reference and get ready for some weekend receipts.

1. Shrek Forever After

Gross: $71,250,000 (new)

Screens: 4,359 (PSA: $16,345)

Weeks: 1

Not to dump on $71.2 million, but with $20 tickets at New York IMAX theaters -- not to mention the added expense of 3D tickets from around the country -- this number should have been way higher. Tracking clearly means nothing, but it should be noted that many assumed Shrek Forever After would clear $100 million this weekend and it didn't even come close. Maybe that has something to do with the confusing marketing campaign. Pop quiz: Is Shrek 4 actually called Shrek Forever After or Shrek: The Final Chapter?

2. Iron Man 2

Gross: $26,600,000 ($251,265,000)

Screens: 4,177 (PSA: $6,368)

Weeks: 3 (change: -48.9%)

After three weekends, Iron Man 2 is running about $30 million ahead of its predecessor domestically, and will top its foreign gross sometime this week. So, win! Of course, with much larger depreciations -- Iron Man only dipped 37% in its third weekend -- actually besting the $318 domestic tally of Original Flavor Tony Stark might take some fancy accounting. Start digging through those seat cushions, Paramount.

3. Robin Hood

Gross: $18,700,000 ($66,100,000)

Screens: 3,505 (PSA: $5,335)

Weeks: 2 (change: -48.1%)

Say hello to Public Enemies, Version 2.0. After two weekends, Robin Hood has grossed $66.1 million, which is just $100k less than Public Enemies had in the bank after two weekends last summer. Michael Mann's overpriced, overly serious, summer "prestige" film went on to almost crack $100 million, so don't be surprised to see Ridley Scott's film perform similarly. Of course, Scott's Robin Hood has the added bonus of massive overseas grosses (over $120 million thus far), but since it also has a huge price tag, that still might be enough to make it profitable.

4. Letters to Juliet

Gross: $9,100,000 ($27,400,000)

Screens: 2,975 (PSA: $3,059)

Weeks: 2 (change: -32.8%)

If it wasn't for Date Night -- which dropped just 26% in its seventh weekend -- Letters to Juliet would be the proud owner of the lowest depreciation in the top-ten. Which begs the question: Who exactly is seeing this movie?

5. Just Wright

Gross: $4,225,000 ($14,631,000)

Screens: 1,831 (PSA: $2,307)

Weeks: 2 (change: -49%)

If you're looking for MacGruber, some bad news: It grossed a ridiculously low $4.1 million and finished in sixth place. That it couldn't even top the second weekend of Just Wright is an indictment worse than any comparisons to Night at the Roxbury or Hot Rod. Next time: More Will Forte nudity!

[Box Office Mojo]