Paramount/Marvel’s “Iron Man 2” tops the chart for the second consecutive weekend, while Universal/Relativity Media’s “Robin Hood” took the worldwide crown with $111.1 million.
A very solid and better-than-expected debut for Universal’s “Robin Hood” with an impressive $36.1 million second place finish in North America and a worldwide box office total of $111.1 that put it on top in terms of the global marketplace. The themes of “steal from the rich, give to the poor” may have had particular resonance with audiences around the world as the economy continues to bring hard times to many folks.
A terrific marketing campaign and a great release date that perfectly bridges the gap between “Iron Man 2” and “Shrek Forever After” next week put Universal in perfect position to capitalize on the strength of the Russell Crowe/Ridley Scott collaboration.
Of course “Iron Man 2” was not to be outdone in the North American marketplace as it enjoyed a solid second weekend and took the top spot with $52 million in the domestic box office against a 59% drop (respectable considering the massiveness of its debut last weekend). The film is already at $211.2 million domestically after just 10 days of release. IMAX certainly is a key factor in the continued success of the film having contributed 8% of the box office (or $4.2 million in just 181 locations) to this weekend’s bottom line and an impressive $16.6 to the total domestic cumulative through Sunday.
At number three is Summit Entertainment’s lighthearted romance “Letters to Juliet” starring the Amanda Seyfried (“Mama Mia!,” “Dear John,” “Chloe”), “Juliet” earned a solid $13.5 million in its debut. The film also stars Vanessa Redgrave, Gael Garcia Bernal and of course the incredible scenery of the Italian countryside. This was a nice and light non-summer style film devoid of explosions, fist fights and shootings, and thus had obvious appeal to the sophisticated moviegoer.
Number four is also a newcomer as “Just Wright” from Fox Searchlight opens in just 1,831 theatres with $8.3 million and a per-theatre average of $4,525. An ensemble romantic comedy, “Just Wright” offered another alternative to the big-budget action films currently dominating the box-office derby.
Rounding out the top five is the ever-present “How to Train Your Dragon” with $5 million in its eighth weekend of release. Another minuscule 25% drop places its domestic total at an impressive $207.7 million and makes it one of the true winners of the spring into summer season as it simply refuses to slow down and move out of the way of the summer onslaught.
Another strong weekend that outpaced last year’s comparable frame by 4% keeps the summer vibe going as we head into next week when Paramount/DWA’s “Shrek Forever After” and Universal’s “MacGruber” hit theatres.
