The Hasbro movie and the Sacha Baron Cohen-starring comedy land on the second and third place respectively, while the Marvel superhero pic continues to reign the chart for the third week.
- May 21, 2012
AceShowbiz - "The Avengers" still holds strong on the top of North American box office for the third consecutive weekend. The Marvel superhero movie continues its victory by grossing $55.6 million for a total domestic cume of $457.1 million, marking the best showing for a Walt Disney Pictures movie ever. On Sunday, May 20, the film reaches its $1.18 billion mark globally and is close to become the fourth biggest gross title of all time.
Securing the runner-up spot on its opening weekend is "Battleship". The Hasbro game movie collects $25.5 million, despite the fact that Universal Pictures expects it to take in at least $35 million to $40 million on its debut weekend in the United States.
"It is obviously a disappointment, but we will move on. And we have Memorial Day coming up," said Nikki Rocco, Universal president of domestic distribution. "The studio has a picture that already has a quarter of a billion dollars in the bank, and its won't die at $25.3 million domestically . We all know that."
Landing on the third place is Sacha Baron Cohen's mockumentary "The Dictator", which rakes in $17.4 million on its debut weekend. Though the raunchy comedy opens with a relatively modest result, Paramount Pictures believes it will continue to overperform abroad.
Receiving a "C" CinemaScore, "Dictator" appeals to mostly male moviegoers who make up 65|percent| of the ticket buyers. Around 25|percent| of the audience are under the age of 25.
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's latest collaboration, "Dark Shadows", drops one position to the fourth place this week. Falling a steep 57|percent|, the soap opera-adapted movie bags $12.5 million for a total domestic cume of $50.9 million after two weeks playing in cinemas nationwide.
Rounding up the top five is star-studded comedy "What to Expect When You're Expecting". The newcomer earns $10.5 million, which is below Lionsgate Films expectation. The film is projected to gross at least half of its $40 million budget on its debut weekend.
Top Ten Movies at Box Office for May 18-20: