The FINANCIAL — Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland took in $34.5 million and was the top film in the U.S. and Canada for a third straight weekend.
The FINANCIAL — Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland took in $34.5 million and was the top film in the U.S. and Canada for a third straight weekend.
“Alice,” which stars Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska as the title character, has earned $265.8 million in the three weeks since its release, according to Bloomberg. The movie, which also features Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway, may reach $350 million in revenue, according to Gitesh Pandya, editor of Box Office Guru LLC, said yesterday in an interview.
“This is definitely playing out like a summer blockbuster even though the calendar says March,” Pandya said of “Alice.” “It’s got very good legs, the same source informs. You still have Easter coming up and you have a lot of spring breaks.” “Alice” is the first Disney film to be the top grossing for three straight weeks since the release of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” also starring Depp, in July 2006, Pandya said. The second film in the “Pirates” trilogy earned $423.3 million, according to researcher Box Office Mojo.
"Alice in Wonderland" easily beat a rush of new movies led by 20th Century Fox's family film "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," which opened at No. 2 with $21.8 million, AP reports. The movie is adapted from Jeff Kinney's cartoon novel about a sixth grader maneuvering through the intricate social structure at his middle school, which includes its own "cooties" game known as the "cheese touch."
Debuting at No. 3 was Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler's action comedy "The Bounty Hunter" with $21 million, according to the same source. Released by Sony, the movie follows a bounty hunter chasing his ex-wife, a reporter with an arrest warrant over her head after she misses a court date while pursuing a story.
Bloomberg reports that “Repo Men” debuted in fourth with $6.15 million in receipts for General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal. Jude Law and Forest Whitaker star in this R-rated sci-fi thriller as agents charged with tracking down people who fail to pay for the mechanical organs with which they’ve been outfitted.
According to Los Angeles Times, "Repo Men" is the latest in a string of disappointments from Universal Pictures and its frequent partner Relativity, including "The Wolfman" and last week's "Green Zone." Although it garnered a B from the mostly male audience that saw it, the anemic opening for the $32-million film, which has been on the shelf for about two years, means it will end up a money loser.
According to Hollywood.com, estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday were:
1. Alice in Wonderland, $34.5 million.
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid, $21.8 million.
3. The Bounty Hunter, $21 million.
4. Repo Men, $6.2 million.
5. She's Out of My League, $6 million.
6. Green Zone, $5.96 million.
7. Shutter Island, $4.8 million.
8. Avatar, $4 million.
9. Our Family Wedding, $3.8 million.
10. Remember Me, $3.3 million.
