The Hunger Games is still the biggest box office draw after its third weekend in theaters, topping newcomers American Reunion and James Cameron’s Titanic 3D, amongst others, for its third consecutive first-place finish.
Behind stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, the film based on the novel by author Suzanne Collins added $33.5 million this past Friday through Sunday, easily enough to secure another top finish. That’s only a 43 percent drop from the previous weekend, proving The Hunger Games will continue to add cash to Lionsgate’s bank account for many more weekends to come.
Call it a three-peat, blind luck or whatever you want, but this continued strength by The Hunger Games is expected to push it past the $300 million mark on Sunday after only 17 days of release. Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon is the only film in that young adult series to reach that mark, and it stopped right at it. Maybe those comparisons between the two franchises, ironically both now under the Lionsgate umbrella, can take a rest as The Hunger Games is drawing a much more diverse and expansive audience than any of the Twilight films managed.
American Reunion limped into second place $21.5 million through Sunday. That number might seem like a hit for an R-rated comedy, especially one opening during Easter. But keep in mind that the previous American Pie films released theatrically all opened to over $30 million. Blu-ray and DVD is where American Reunion will probably find its biggest audience.
James Cameron’s Titanic 3D celebrated the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic with a third place opening of $17.4 million. The film did bow early on Wednesday, and since then it has hauled in $25.7 million. Those numbers are right in line with several of the other 3D re-releases including Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace and Disney’s The Lion King. Paramount no doubt was expecting the second highest grossing film of all time to put forth a better showing than the return of Jar Jar Binks.
Warner’s Wrath of the Titans battled its way into fourth place with $15 million. Through 10 days, the Clash of the Titans sequel has earned $58.9 million. Sadly, the original film earned more than that in its opening weekend.
Mirror Mirror with Julia Roberts as the evil Queen finished up the top five with $11 million. That’s only a 39 percent drop from its opening weekend a week ago. Surely Relativity hoped to have made more than $36.5 million through the film’s first 10 days.
The remaining top 10 worked out as follows:
6. 12 Jump Street (Sony) $10.2 million (-31.2%) $109.6 million to date
7. Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (Universal) $5 million (-35.8%) $198.2 million to date
8. Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (CBS) $975,000 (-23.4%) $4.6 million to date
9. John Carter (Disney) $820,000 (-59.6%) $68 million to date
10. Safe House (Universal) $581,000 (-25.5%) $124.8 million to date
Next weekend, Lionsgate will unleash The Hunger Games against the theatrical debut of The Three Stooges, Lockout and the Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon horror flick, The Cabin in the Woods. Can The Hunger Games make it four in a row and own the box office for a full month? Unless The Three Stooges proves popular behind an ongoing marketing blitz, expect another Panem celebration.
