It’s safe to say that after this weekend, nothing can stand in the way of The Hunger Games. Not a romantic classic or an American Reunion. Instead, Katniss Everdeen and the Capital continued to dominate the box office. Here’s how the weekend turned out.
Dropping just 42% week to week, The Hunger Games managed to hold onto the top spot at the box office for the third weekend in a row, grossing a stellar $33 million. Currently, the film has grossed an amazing $302 million in North America in just three weeks. Two questions now come into play – will The Hunger Games make it to the rare $400 million club in North America, and will it be able to hold onto the top spot until the May 4th release of The Avengers?
Debuting in second spot with $21.5 million was American Reunion, the fourth and (likely) final film in the American Pie franchise. Reviews have definitely been mixed on the film and it appears as though the audience who grew up with the gang have moved on from the franchise. The film had the lowest debut since the 1999 original and it’s unlikely it will even make it to $100 million. A disappointment, to be sure.
In third spot for the weekend was Titanic in 3D, grossing $17 million for a total of $25 million since it’s rerelease began April 5th. I definitely thought the film would bring in a higher gross this weekend, based on its 3D conversion and its status as the second most successful film of all time (right behind Avatar). While not a huge let down (when a movie has made over a billion dollars, any extra money is just gravy), I would consider this a surprise showing for the film.
As for the rest of the top five, Wrath of the Titans dropped from second to fourth with $15 million. The film is a long way off from making back its $150 million budget, and I expect to see the freefall continue over the next few weekends. Finally, Mirror Mirror closed things out with $11 million.
So, to recap, here were our predictions:
1) Titanic in 3D – $36 million
2) American Reunion – $34 million
3) The Hunger Games – $30 million
4) Wrath of the Titans – $18 million
5) Mirror Mirror – $12 million
And here’s how the weekend turned out:
1) The Hunger Games– $33 million
2) American Reunion – $21.5 million
3) Titanic in 3D– $17 million
4) Wrath of the Titans – $15 million
5) Mirror Mirror – $11 million
Next weekend three new films look to take down The Hunger Games – action film Lockout, the remake of The Three Stooges and long-awaited horror flick The Cabin In The Woods (read our advance review here). Check back on Friday to see our predictions!
