For the third week in a row, chatty cartoon animals ruled the box office as the birds of Rio took the top spot with a blockbuster $40 million opening. Coming in a distant second place was the 90s nostalgia curio, Scream 4, which netted a horrifying $19 million; you'll recall that Scream 3 had a $34 million opening weekend and that was back when ticket prices were lower and this all used to be orange groves. And speaking of wayback when, Robert Redford's The Conspirator opened in ninth place; sorry James McAvoy! I still love you, boo!. Your weekend receipts are here.
1. Rio
Gross: $40,000,000 (new)
Screens: 3,826 (PSA: $10,455)
Weeks: 1
If there's one thing kids love, it's the smooth dulcet vocal stylings of Jesse Eisenberg. I bet a whole generation of neurotics were birthed just from impressionable kids taking in a matinee of Rio.
2. Scream 4
Gross: $19,279,000 (new)
Screens: 3,305 (PSA: $5,833)
Weeks: 1
I refuse, I absolutely refuse to refer to this as Scre4m. When people queue up to buy tickets, they ask for Scream 4 not Skree Four Um. Do you see what typographical terrors you've unleashed, Seven?
3. Hop
Gross: $11,167,000 ($82,609,000)
Screens: 3,608 (PSA: $3,095)
Weeks: 2 (change: -47.6%)
This will probably make a lil' more than $100 million and will be a minor hit for Universal. So how long before we see the first direct-to-DVD sequel/prequel? I'm gonna guess one calendar year, to tie in for Easter 2012 and milk that revenue stream dry. I'm gonna say it'll be about how E.B. fell in love with the drums originally. And I'll take a "based on an idea by" credit, Universal.
4. Soul Surfer
Gross: $7,400,000 ($19,997,000)
Screens:2,214 (PSA: $3,342)
Weeks: 2 (change: -30.2%)
A very slim decline for this faith-based tragedy flick. I guess America was hungry for a movie that combined Jesus and brutal shark attacks in
5. Hanna
Gross: $7,327,000 ($23,327,000)
Screens: 2,545 (PSA: $2,879)
Weeks: 2 (change: -40.8%)
Let me just say that this prequel to Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters did not unfold in the way that I was expected. I guess in the next one, we'll find how an assassin trained since birth ended up married to Michael Caine on the Upper West Side.
9. The Conspirator
Gross: $3,924,000 (new)
Screens:707 (PSA: $5,550)
Weeks: 1
So, based on the audience turnout, it seems like a 19th century legal drama is just as exciting as one imagines, huh?
[Numbers via Box Office Mojo]