Hollywood arrives at the slowest box office weekend of the year [updated]

Amid the usual spin from movie-studio executives discussing box-office results Sunday morning, there was no ignoring one basic fact: Not many people went to the movies this weekend.

"I thought we'd have this piece of the pie, but I also thought that the overall pie would be bigger," said Stephen Friedlander, CBS Films executive vice president of distribution, referring to the soft but not terrible opening of his studio's "The Back-Up Plan."

Total ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday were an estimated $100 million, according to Hollywood.com. That's easily the lowest total of the year, well below the previous bottom of $113.9 million on the weekend of Feb. 6, when "Dear John" and "From Paris With Love" opened.

Mid-April is usually not a hot period for moviegoing as studios hold off big releases in anticipation of summer tentpole season starting in May. Nonetheless, this weekend was dismal even for the time of year, with total revenue down 12% from the same weekend last year.

"How to Train Your Dragon" was No. 1 essentially by default, as on its fifth weekend it outpaced the modest start for the Jennifer Lopez comedy "The Back-Up Plan" and the dreary $9.6-million debut of "The Losers."

(For more on the openings of these two films, see our initial box office post.)

Both movies got average audience grades of B, but "The Back-Up Plan," which drew a 71% female audience, is expected to hold on better against next weekend's male-centric "Nightmare on Elm Street" and the anticipated massive opening of "Iron Man 2" on May 7.

The only good news at the domestic box office was for several holdovers,  including DreamWorks Animation's "Dragon," which continued its strong run by falling 23% to $15 million, and 20th Century Fox's Steve Carrell-Tina Fey comedy "Date NIght," which was down 37% on its third weekend to $10.6 million.

"Kick-Ass" didn't get a good hold on its second weekend, however, falling 52% and knocking down Lionsgate's hopes of recovering from a decent but disappointing debut.

There was some positive news overseas, where "The Back-Up Plan" opened to a solid $800,000 in Mexico. "Alice in Wonderland" had a very strong $5.7-million debut in Brazil and fell only 29% on its second weekend in Japan to $10.2 million. "Clash of the Titans" continues to be the biggest movie in international markets, taking in $32 million overseas compared to $26.7 million for "Alice," which has been out longer.

Here are the top 10 movies at the domestic box office, according to studio estimates and Hollywood.com:

1. "How to Train Your Dragon" (DreamWorks Animation/Paramount): $15 million on its fifth weekend, down 23%. $11 million overseas in 60 foreign territories. Domestic total: $178 million. International total: $194 million.

2. "The Back-Up Plan" (CBS): Opened to $12.25 million. $910,000 overseas in Mexico and the Phillipines, where it was distributed by Sony Pictures.

3. "Date Night" (Fox/Dune): $10.6 million on its third weekend, down 37%. $7 million overseas in 48 foreign markets. Domestic total: $63.5 million. International total: $27.5 million.

4. "The Losers" (Dark Castle/Warner Bros.): Opened to $9.6 million.

5. "Kick-Ass" (Lionsgate): $9.5 million on its second weekend, down 52%. $2.7 million overseas in six foreign territories, where it was distributed by Universal Pictures. Domestic total: $34.9 million. International total: $21.4 million.

6. "Clash of the Titans" (Warner Bros./Legendary): $9 million on its fourth weekend, down 42%. $32 million overseas in 60 foreign markets. Domestic total: $145.6 million. International total: $240.4 million.

7. "Death at a Funeral" (Sony Screen Gems): $8 million on its second weekend, down 51%. Domestic total: $28.5 million. 

8. "Oceans" (DisneyNature): $6 million on its first weekend. Domestic total since opening Thursday: $8.5 million. [Updated at 1:20 p.m. to include total since Thursday.]

9. "The Last Song" (Disney): $3.7 million on its fourth weekend, down 38%. Domestic total: $55.4 million.

10. "Alice in Wonderland" (Disney): $2.2 million on its eighth weekend, down 39%. $26.7 million overseas in 54 foreign countries. Domestic total: $327.5 million. International total: $548.5 million.

-- Ben Fritz

Top photo: A scene from "How to Train Your Dragon." Credit: DreamWorks Animation

Bottom photo: Sam Worthington in "Clash of the Titans." Credit: Jay Maidment / Warner Bros.

Comments

[Danny]

Wow - Alice In Wonderland is close to $900 million worldwide??? How come Disney isn't talking about this? I can't believe this movie is going to make $1 billion.

[Dee Fault]

Three reasons:

1) The movies that opened weren't reviewed well or "must-sees."

2) Avatar's DVD release this weekend commanded lots of stay-at-homers.

3) Moviegoing is so expensive that more and more people opt for Netflix or Redbox, except for event films or date-worthy films.

[Mike Rice]

Alice in Wonderland was phoned in by everyone involved. The Monster in the Box is not the lousy movie itself but a world atwitter after Avatar gone nuts for 3-D. But the junk floating down in the aftermath from Hollywoodland sinkhole is even worse. The whole 3-D fad will be dead in less than six months, victim of the usual exploitation by the Studios and the theater owners, without a doubt the biggest two sets of buggy whips in the emerging new millenium. Everyone from Burton to Johnny Depp to Helen Bonham Carter and the rest of the cast knew this flick was a dead monkey the day they stepped onto the lot of film it.

[MissAlice]

Most of the Movies don't stay at the theaters long enough for me to even see. They come and go too quickly. It's not the same watching them on television and I'm not hip enough to know how to download them yet, still they're not the same on the tv screen anyway.

I used to love to go out to a Drive-In Movie and they are no more. An outdoor theater, say at the Rose Bowl or the Hollywood Bowl I bet would be nice to go to and would do well. Ah, sure miss those Drive-Ins though, with double features and bringing my own picnic dinner and goodies. Never can replace that.

[deborah]

Yea, that's why it made $900,000,000, so far.

[Shelley]

I wonder if you would have reported that The Back Up Plan would have won the weekend by default if it passed How to Train Your Dragon by even $1.00. Give the dragon movie it's due it is a great film.

[Aaron Reed Jr.]

So here's the thing: although I'm not a great fan of
Jennifer Lopez, I'm not sure why the film's weak box
office is being entirely blamed on her... Let's talk about
Alex O'Loughlin and his series of flops... What is it with
him and CBS? CBS seems intent on imposing this actor
on us whether we like it or not... Seriously, what gives?
It's ridiculous to see someone given so many chances...
If he were black, Latino or Asian, he would have been
thrown to the ash heap a long time ago... but because
he's an Aussie that makes him special? He has no
on-screen presence and can't keep a series on the air...
Now he's been cast on another series... HAWAII 5-0...
Enough already... J. Lo is going to take the hit for the
BACK-UP PLAN but, please maybe this should be a wake
up call that Alex O'Loughlin is nothing special...

[Kat]

My current favorite movie is Swedish: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It's amazing and is doing great Box Office even though it's only playing in a little over 100 move theatres. Also, I stayed home this weekend and watched AVATAR on iTunes. Will wait till November to buy the Deluxe Blu-Ray. I won't see a J-Lo movie and will DVD OCEANS. My 2 cents.

[Marilyn Montgomery]

Going to the movies used to be one of my favorite pastimes, however since the popularity of hand held cameras, hyperactive camera work, constant panning and zooming in and out I get very nauseated. I just don't understand it. I go to watch something for a satisfying visual and it's denied!

[1skyliner]

Most of the Movies don't stay at the theaters long enough for me to even see. They come and go too quickly.
My current favorite movie is Swedish: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It's amazing and is doing great Box Office even though it's only playing in a little over 100 move theaters.