Opening day: 'Alice in Wonderland' headed for $100-million-plus domestic debut after huge Friday

"Alice in Wonderland" will open to more than $100 million in the U.S. and Canada alone after audiences packed theaters on its opening Friday.

Director TIm Burton's 3-D adaptation of the classic fairy tale starring Johnny Depp sold about $41 million worth of tickets in the U.S. and Canada on Friday, according to distributor and financier Walt Disney Studios.

Assuming it follows the path of a normal PG-rated family movie, it should collect about $110 million through Sunday. That would give it the second-highest opening ever outside of summer, not accounting for ticket price inflation, after November's "The Twilight Saga: New Moon."

It's significantly higher than already big expectations for the $200-million event film.

"Alice in Wonderland" is also expected to gross tens of millions more this weekend from the approximately 40 foreign territories where it is opening.

--Ben Fritz

Photo: Johnny Depp and Mia Wasikowska in "Alice in Wonderland." Credit: Disney Enterprises.

Comments

[mslewis]

I think that's pretty cool. I like Tim Burton and Johnny Depp and "Alice" is timeless. Good for Burton for taking a risk and doing his usual weird thing.

[Nicolas Martin]

Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public. -- H. L. Mencken

[Neil]

I don't get it. What's the big attraction?

[SueB]

Given how extremely odd and quirky Tim Burton's creations can sometimes be, it was delightful to discover how charming and fun this cast of characters, live and animated, is. I saw the film without 3D effects and am convinced I was better able to enjoy the story without them. What surprised me most was how affecting some of the scenes were. (I teared up more than once.) It is beautifully done and I will definitely see it again.

[srkar]

I imagined myself being live on morning tv show asking the producer/writer/whoever you are "Disney reps" saying; what kind of creep in the first scene of a kids movie has the main character's brother in law making out with another women. Why??????? I walked out (with my daughter)......not just because of this, but because of the disturbing darkness of this movie. This is not a kids movie. Other parents walked out as well. All the previews were geared for kids, so don't tell me otherwise. The theater was packed with kids. Your all creeps its as simple as that....... CREEPS.

[Andrew]

I won't watch it. Completely unappealing.

[Brittany]

dude for all ya who be think tha this is not a kids movie who give a crap im not tellin you other wise okay as mi self id watch it cuz johnny depp of coarse and tim burton seriously ever movie they did together was great so wat makes this one diff. tell me tha okay so dont no one be judgein it ,oh and one u said u walked out well first of all u didnt watch the whole movie so how do u not kno okay...........

[Brian]

The movie is rated PG so if you were under the impression that it was a straight kid friendly G movie you missed the film rating, haven't seen many Tim Burton films, read much of anything about the film before hand, and more.

Moreso while the books by Lewis Carrol may appear kid friendly on one hand, you might want to reread them.

I am *much* older than child age and thought the previews were casting a wide net vs tailoring the previews to kids.

And I took my five year old and six year old to see it without incident and did the parent pre-movie briefing and post-movie debriefing, no problems.

Prior generations didn't crumble into the sea after seeing much worse things as entertainment, I'm reasonably sure we can survive Alice in Wonderland.

For the record, it was very good and a nice sequel to the books-faithful in character and more of a story than in the Carrol pieces.

[What]

What is srkar talking about? First of all, it wasn't the first scene of the movie. Second, she and her family didn't stay long enough to enjoy the rest of a wonderful movie. Has she ever read the book or has she based all of her knowledge of "Alice in Wonderland" all on the earlier Disney version. Finally, has she ever seen other Tim Burton movies? Geez...loosen up. I didn't see anyone leaving after that scene. Maybe it was a figment of your uptight imagination.

[Bob Lee]

The movie is pretty harmless entertainment. Nothing very deep to be sure. Parents who yank their kids out of this movie are being overprotective. The millions of kids who saw Bambi's mother die were not damaged irreparably! In any case, take the 30 seconds to read a review before going to the theater with kids.