ALICE transforms the weekend box office into its own WONDERLAND
As has been long-predicted, Tim Burton's take on ALICE IN WONDERLAND cracked the $100 million mark and handily won its opening weekend box office. With a take of $116.3 million, ALICE is also the all-time number one opener for March weekends and spring weekends. It's also the ninth-fastest film to reach $100 million. And the all-time highest opener for a 3D or IMAX film. Oh, and it also grabbed the worldwide all-time highest debut for a non-sequel film ever (better known, as the "So Sorry About that, AVATAR" box office marker). Despite this monster opening weekend, the tea party isn't suspected to last, as ALICE's numbers will surely suffer as more bad buzz builds for the film (personally, this much-y little lady didn't dig Burton's take at all).
The weekend's other new release (is there an Oscar for "Best Also-Ran"?), BROOKLYN'S FINEST made just enough money to (probably) pay for all of Alice's costume changes, pulling in just $13.5 million. So much for counter-programming.
SHUTTER ISLAND slipped to the third spot, just behind BROOKLYN'S, with $13.2 million. The film's total domestic take is now sitting pretty at $95.8 million, overtaking its budget of $80 million in just three weeks at the box office. COP OUT dropped to the fourth spot, leaving behind double-digit million takes with just $9.1 million. AVATAR is still sticking around in the top five, rounding it out with $7.7 million (despite losing its 3D screens to ALICE). Call me crazy, but I think that film is a hit!
The rest of the box office is much of the same - it's Oscar weekend, after all, and it seems that everyone's focus is on remembering the films of yesteryear (2009) and continuing to debate their merits. Fun!
Source Box Office Mojo, Variety
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