'Yogi Bear' has surprisingly long box-office life
"Yogi Bear" has lasted longer than your average movie.
After a weak opening of $16.4 million the weekend before Christmas, the 3-D animation/live action hybrid based on the 1960s cartoon is now closing in on $100 million at the domestic box office.
It grossed almost six times its debut weekend take, a very high ratio. The average "multiple," as it's referred to in Hollywood, is a little less than three. But the audience of families with young children has continued to come to "Yogi" throughout January, making for a slow decline in box office receipts. This last weekend, ticket sales fell only 26% to $2.3 million, bringing its domestic total to $95.5 million.
Overseas, "Yogi Bear" has opened in several major foreign countries and has so far taken in a total of $47.1 million, with a particularly strong showing in Australia. This weekend it had a solid opening of $2.9 million in Mexico.
While "Yogi Bear" has done much better than appeared likely when it opened, it's still not a big hit for Warner Bros. The studio spent a hefty $80 million to produce the picture, which features the voices of Justin Timberlake and Dan Aykroyd.
-- Ben Fritz and Amy Kaufman
Photo: A still from "Yogi Bear." Credit: Warner Bros.
It's a sad statement on what now passes for quality entertainment when this piece of junk is closing in on netting $20MM. Me playing my guitar then should logically earn me a billion dollars! Sweet!
Posted by: Michael | February 06, 2011 at 02:01 PM
Must be the same people who watch Fox "News".
Posted by: hb | February 06, 2011 at 03:26 PM
It took two of you to write this? The La Times is a joke...
Posted by: Ben | February 06, 2011 at 08:01 PM
"This makes me almost as happy as finding a full pic-a-nic basket, Boo-Boo!"
Posted by: Walt Mitchell | February 07, 2011 at 08:27 AM
**Must be the same people who watch Fox "News".**
Oh, well, at least those people also made sure that "Scott Pilgrim" bombed. Now go play with your action figures, and weep over the deceased Air America, geektard. We grownups will keep on watching the most popular and successful news channel in the world. Fox News Rules.
Posted by: FemEagle | February 08, 2011 at 09:39 AM
No it didn't.
http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=yogibear.htm
Posted by: Mr. Semaj | February 08, 2011 at 08:08 PM
Yogi Bear was a great movie to take my kid to, and that's what's driving its box office. Parents who've dared to see it with the kids have come away pleasantly entertained, such as myself. I thought the closing credits sequence was brilliant. I also liked its environmental message. It was a good movie, and I'm glad to see it's doing well.
Posted by: tony | February 11, 2011 at 04:46 PM