Hollywood’s one-two punch of a 1980s flashback helped revive the dormant box office to life this weekend according to studio estimates. Sony’s remake of the 1984 sleeper hit The Karate Kid surprised everyone, while Twentieth Century Fox’s big-screen version of the ’80s TV hit The A-Team arrived to smaller but solid numbers in second place. Combined, the two debuts gave the film industry a desperately-needed jolt following a dismal month of business. Overall, this weekend’s business was up a healthy 36% from last weekend.
Produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s production company for a relatively cheap $40 million, The Karate Kid dropkicked an estimated $56 million in ticket sales from a huge 3,663 screen count, easily one of the biggest openers for the month of June. The PG-rated Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan remake succeeded in connecting with its targeted audiences: families and the nostalgia crowd, who made the original a surprise hit twenty-six years ago. Word of mouth has been strong, and the movie should be able to stand its ground again such big guns as next week’s Toy Story 3 and Paramount’s The Last Airbender to become one of the bigger hits of 2010.
After a decades-long development period and a screenplay that passed through a reported eleven writers, Twentieth Century Fox’s The A-Team arrived on 3,535 screens for an estimated $26 million take for the weekend. A hyperactive version of the cult TV favorite that ran from 1983-1987, Joe Carnahan’s $100 million film version also clicked with its targeted demographics, young males and the nostalgia crowd, but unlike Karate Kid, it didn’t seem to succeed in reaching beyond that. Reviews were decidedly mixed for the Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper starrer, so it will be up to ticket buyers to keep Murdoch and company afloat over the next few weeks.
Falling from first to third place was former three-week champ Shrek Forever After with $15.8 million and a new total of $210 million to date, making the film the fourth movie to cross the $200 million domestic mark this year. The film had a moderate 38% drop from last weekend, no doubt due to the arrival of the family-friendly Karate Kid. Once again, Shrek and Donkey can thank the higher priced 3D and IMAX tickets for cushioning the blow. The arrival of Buzz and Woody next week however should slow down the film considerably as it surrenders many of its IMAX and 3D screens to the Pixar film. Watch for Shrek to finish off with a domestic gross of $230-235 million, which will make it the lowest-grossing of the series.
The best performer of last weekend’s quartet of underperformers, Universal’s Get Him to the Greek, held reasonably well with an estimated weekend take of $10.1 million to bring its ten-day total to the $36.5 million. Off 42.5%, the film is hoping to finish near the $60 million mark that 2008’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall concluded at. A respectable amount for the $40 million comedy, but still lower than what the troubled studio may have been hoping for.
In fifth place was the maligned Aston Kutcher and Katherine Hiegl action comedy Killers which dropped by 48% to $8 million and a new ten-day total of $30.1 million. The $75 million Lionsgate film, their biggest-budgeted film to date, should finish with a meager $40-45 million at best.
In sixth place was the Disney franchise wannabe The Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time with $6.6 million and a new overall total of $72.5 million. While the domestic box office for Prince has been weak, overseas has been anything but. As of today, the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced flick had collared a substantial $190.3 million from overseas markets. Seventh place went to the Fox’s Marmaduke which added $6 million in its second weekend for a ten-day total of $22.2 million to date. Watch for the talking dog film to finish in the $32-35 million range.
In eighth spot was another movie that was expected to do better domestically, the comedy sequel Sex and the City 2, which fell another 56% to $5.5 million and a new total of $84.7 million. Like The Prince of Persia and Universal’s Robin Hood, the movie has show better legs overseas. For Carrie and the gals, City 2 has brought in $105 million in overseas sales thus far. Watch for the sequel to finish its domestic run at or around $95 million.
Iron Man 2 was in ninth place with an estimated take of $4.2 million and a new overall gross of $299 million. Overseas, Tony Stark has made $288 million so far. The sequel should cross the $300 million barrier on Tuesday of this upcoming week. Rounding out the top ten was Warner’s well-received but largely ignored sci-fi flick Splice which dropped a dangerous 62.5% to $2.8 million and a weak ten-day total of $13 million. Just outside the top ten and may possibly switch places with Splice when actual numbers are released on Monday is Robin Hood which collared an estimated $2.7 million for the weekend. With a new estimated domestic take of $99.6 million, the Ridley Scott epic should cross the $100 million mark early this week. Overseas, Robin Hood stands at $183.3 million.
Next weekend the toys are back in town with Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 3, while Josh Brolin and Megan Fox go west in Warner’s Jonah Hex. Predict what these films will make for a chance at Blu-ray prizes in the next round of our weekly Weekend Box Office Prophet Game kicking off Tuesday.
– Shawn Fitzgerald
