Saturday, May 28, 2011

Blu-ray 24th May Releases

I Am Number Four (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Disney/Buena Vista / 2011 / 109 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: May 24, 2011






Genres: Action, thriller, sci-fi, comic based

Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron, Teresa Palmer, Callan McAuliffe
Director: D.J. Caruso

Plot Synopsis: Three are dead. Who is Number four? From Director D.J. Caruso (Disturbia), producer Michael Bay (Transformers) and the Emmy-winning writers of TV's Smallville, comes this gripping, action-packed thriller. John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) is an extraordinary teen masking his true identity to elude a deadly enemy sent to destroy him. Living with his guardian (Timothy Olyphant) in the small town he now calls home, John encounters unexpected life-changing events - his first love (Dianna Agron, TV's Glee), powerful new abilities and a secret connection to the others who share his incredible destiny. Complete with deleted scenes and more, I Am Number Four is an explosive suspense-filled ride that will take you to the edge of your seat and beyond.


Gnomeo and Juliet (Three-Disc Combo: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy)

Disney/Buena Vista / 2011 / Rated G
Street Date: May 24, 2011





Genres: Animation, Family, Comedy, Adventure, Romance

Starring:
James McAvoy, Emily Blunt and Maggie Smith
Director: Kelly Asbury

Plot Synopsis:
From a director of Shrek 2 comes your chance to step into the secret world of garden gnomes - Gnomeo & Juliet. Perfect for the whole family, this fresh and funny makeover of one of the world's most timeless story features music from Sir Elton John, and the voice talents of Emily Blunt, James McAvoy and sir Michael Caine. Caught up in a feud between neighbors, Gnomeo and Juliet must overcome as many obstacles as their namesakes. But with flamboyant pink flamingoes and epic lawnmower races, can this young couple find lasting happiness? Complete with hilarious never-before-seen bonus features, Gnomeo & Juliet is an out-of-the-ordinary animated comedy your entire family will love. We just gnome it!


Other releases/ Back catalog releases:








Johnny Depp & The Gang Controlling The Box Offce Chart



           Last weekend, Johnny Depp and his jolly pals seized control of the North American box office with the adventure tentpole Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides which registered the year's biggest opening while internationally the latest Captain Jack saga commanded much more power smashing records with the largest overseas opening of all-time. Most holdovers suffered large drops, however the hit comedy Bridesmaids took advantage of sensational buzz to post a fantastic hold putting it on track to break the $100M mark.
          Disney scored its first number one hit of the year with the fourth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean series which opened with $90.2M from an ultrawide launch in 4,155 theaters for a mighty $21,697 average, according to final studio figures. The PG-13 pic was the first in the franchise to be presented in 3D and the grosses were also helped by a record launch in 256 IMAX locations which charged as much as $20 per ticket. Opening on the lower end of industry expectations, Tides enjoyed the biggest bow of 2011 beating the $86.2M of last month's Fast Five which was only in 2D but did include IMAX sales. But moviegoers were cautious with their dollars as less than half of the Tides weekend gross came from 3D screens with more opting for the 2D version.
         The Tides bow was down 21% from the $114.7M debut of the last installment, At World's End. But that figure was part of the long Memorial Day holiday session and the film was the cliffhanger finale after 2006's massively successful Dead Man's Chest. Widely disliked by many critics and fans, End prompted many moviegoers to skip the new chapter which also featured a new director in Rob Marshall and new cast members Penélope Cruz and Ian McShane while bringing back fan favorites Geoffrey Rush and Depp who stands to collect one of the largest compensation packages in Hollywood history since ticket buyers would not show up without him. Reviews were mostly negative and a moderate B+ CinemaScore grade suggests that the road ahead should be on par with what tentpole sequels normally see.
         Starting out the weekend, Friday took in $34.9M including $4.7M from Thursday night's post-midnight shows. Saturday dipped by only 8% to $31.9M - good for a poorly-reviewed fourth chapter of an action series - and Sunday dropped as estimated by only 27% to $23.4M.
         What Tides lost out on domestically, it more than made up for in international waters which have always been friendly to this franchise. Since attacking its first wave of markets on Wednesday, the new Pirates grossed a stunning $256.3M over five days overseas setting a new all-time record by beating the five-day $236M launch of 2009's Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. 3D and IMAX certainly helped as did several star-studded red carpet premieres in Cannes, London, Madrid, Munich, and most importantly Moscow. Russia, which is fast becoming one of Hollywood's most important overseas markets, led all international territories with an eye-popping $28.6M over five days (an all-time industry record) which already is more than what the last Pirates did there during the entire life of its run. Look for more action tentpoles to plan premieres in the Russian capital.
          Another emerging market that was red hot was China where Tides opened to a robust $20M in three days which again is already better than the local lifetime take of the last Pirates which co-starred Chow Yun-Fat. Russia and China delivered the top two overseas openings for Tides beating out the usual big three - Japan, Germany, and the U.K. - which contributed $18-20M each during their respective debut periods. Significant film industry growth in Russia and China since 2007 when the last Captain Jack flick opened is now being taken advantage of.
          Globally, Tides hauled in a massive $346.5M since Wednesday making it the fourth largest worldwide launch of any film behind Half-Blood Prince ($394M) and the 2007 threequels Spider-Man 3 ($381.6M), and At World's End ($357.2M). It should be noted that these figures include openings on different days in different countries so they are not for the exact same time periods.
          Clearly, Disney was looking at the world and not specifically the U.S. when developing and marketing On Stranger Tides. The first three Pirates saw an increasing share of the global gross come from overseas from the 53% of Curse of the Black Pearl, to the 60% of Dead Man's Chest, to the 68% of At World's End. Tides, which cost a reported $250M to produce, will likely see more than 70% of its worldwide haul come from outside North America and another global tally north of $900M could certainly result.
          The wedding comedy Bridesmaids officially became a sleeper hit thanks to its incredible second weekend hold. Kristin Wiig's raunchy R-rated pic dipped by only 20% and collected $20.9M lifting Universal's ten-day tally to a robust $59.3M. The sophomore gross was more than what most expected from the first weekend. The decline was less than those seen by past leggy R-rated comedies like Wedding Crashers (24%), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (24%), and The Hangover (27%). Instead, the Bridesmaids drop was identical to the decline seen by 2003's Old School which made 49% of its overall total in the first ten days, though it was earlier in the year when college students were in school during weekdays. The Wiig pic has the benefit of having a major holiday next weekend so it could be on course to finish with at least $125M giving Universal its third $100M+ grosser in two months after Hop and Fast Five.
          Rival action films fell sharply against Pirates which stole away numerous 3D and IMAX screens. Paramount's Thor dropped 56% in its third frame to $15.5M giving the super hero saga $145.4M in 17 days. The street racing sequel Fast Five raced past the $500M worldwide mark this weekend thanks to terrific business overseas. Domestically, the Universal hit grossed $10.6M, down 48%, pushing the 24-day sum to $186.2M. Overseas markets kicked in an additional $25M this weekend putting the offshore tally at $320M bumping the global gross to a stellar $506.2M.
          Finishing in fifth was Sony's supernatural thriller Priest which collapsed in its second weekend tumbling 68% to $4.8M giving the vampire pic $23.8M in ten days. A $30M final seems likely. The 3D toon Rio was close behind with $4.7M, down 43%, for a $131.7M total for Fox.
         A two-pack of wedding comedies followed. Off 48%, Jumping the Broom grossed $3.7M for Sony while Something Borrowed fell 49% to $3.5M for Warner Bros. Totals are nearly identical after 17 days standing at $31.3M and $31.5M, respectively.
The Fox romance Water for Elephants placed ninth with $2.2M, down 48%, giving the Reese Witherspoon film $52.5M to date. Rounding out the top ten was Lionsgate's comedy Madea's Big Happy Family which dropped 57% to $1M for $51.7M overall.
         Making a spectacular debut in platform release was Woody Allen's latest romantic comedy Midnight in Paris which opened in the number thirteen spot nationwide despite playing in only six theaters. The Sony Classics release collected $599,003 for a jaw-dropping average of $99,834. Starring Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, and Adrien Brody, the PG-13 film opened only in four New York houses and a pair of Los Angeles sites and earned glowing reviews from critics. All theaters had multiple screens offering up to 20 showtimes daily. Midnight expands to 29 more theaters on Friday for the holiday weekend including markets such as San Francisco, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston, and Washington D.C.
# Title May 20 - 22


Weeks
Cumulative Distributor










1 Pirates of the Caribbean: OST $ 90,151,958


1
$ 90,151,958 Disney
2 Bridesmaids 20,882,070


2
59,341,310 Universal
3 Thor 15,455,304


3
145,361,459 Paramount
4 Fast Five 10,576,865


4
186,165,450 Universal
5 Priest 4,750,041


2
23,833,169 Sony
6 Rio 4,687,714


6
131,684,365 Fox
7 Jumping the Broom 3,703,010


3
31,320,562 Sony
8 Something Borrowed 3,516,387


3
31,519,452 Warner Bros.
9 Water for Elephants 2,179,046


5
52,456,620 Fox
10 Madea's Big Happy Family 956,589


5
51,723,579 Lionsgate










11 Soul Surfer 930,008


7
40,610,678 Sony
12 Tangled 910,502


26
200,627,301 Disney
13 Midnight in Paris 599,003


1
599,003 Sony Classics
14 Everything Must Go 529,037


2
1,628,657 Roadside Attr.
15 Prom 504,155


4
9,678,881 Disney
16 Insidious 474,247


8
52,432,623 FilmDistrict
17 Cave of Forgotten Dreams 415,310


4
1,973,239 IFC Films
18 Source Code 412,336


8
52,956,170 Summit
19 Rango 395,085


12
121,211,948 Paramount
20 Hoodwinked Too! 371,335


4
9,199,021 Weinstein Co.









Blu-ray 17th May Releases

The Mechanic [Blu-ray]

Sony / 2011 / 92 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: May 17, 2011








Genres: Action packed

Starring: Jason Statham, Ben Foster
Director: Simon West

Plot Synopsis: The 1972 version of The Mechanic is a tough-minded action film that reflects its disillusioned era. While no masterpiece, it does get points for the retro-coolness of prime-era Charles Bronson, cast as an ice-cold hit man who begins teaching the tricks of the trade to a young apprentice. So the prospect of a 2011 remake isn't especially sacrilegious, and handing the central role to 21st-century tough guy Jason Statham is a logical choice; Statham's got the moves, the voice, and the three-day stubble necessary for the role. In some fairly significant ways, though, the remake backs away from the hardness of the original and settles for a less daring approach. Director Simon West (Con Air) manages to make even New Orleans locations seem monotonous, as he covers everything in a baked-butterscotch glaze and surrounds his antihero with the sleekest, most boring kind of modern hardware (the old skool LP turntable is a nice exception). Statham stays in his locked-down key throughout, while, as his student, Ben Foster--somewhat less jittery here than in the likes of 3:10 to Yuma or Alpha Dog--strides into one reckless situation after another. Playing peripheral roles as members of the hit man's shadowy network, Donald Sutherland and Tony Goldwyn successfully read their lines. The actual targets of the hits are creepy enough so that we aren't unduly troubled by Statham's line of work, and the ending falls far short of the memorable original. A take-no-prisoners approach to violence makes this seem even more like an empty exercise.


The Rite (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)


New Line Cinema / 2011 / 114 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: May 17, 2011





Genres: Suspense, thriller, exorcism

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Colin O'Donoghue
Director: Mikael Håfström

Plot Synopsis: Inspired by true events, this supernatural thriller follows a seminary student (Colin O’Donoghue) sent to study exorcism at the Vatican in spite of his own doubts about the controversial practice and even his own faith. Only when sent to apprentice with legendary Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins), who has performed thousand of exorcisms, does his armor of skepticism begin to fall. Drawn into a troubling case that seems to transcend even Father Lucas’s skill, the young seminarian glimpses a phenomenon science can’t explain or control – and an evil so violent and terrifying that it forces him to question everything he believes.

Disc Features:

  • Deleted Scenes (HD, 13 min.)


  • Chilling Alternate Ending (HD, 2 min.)
  • The Rite: Solider of God (HD, 7 min.)


Other Woman [Blu-ray]

MPI / 2009 / 102 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: May 17, 2011








Genres: Drama

Starring:
Natalie Portman, Scott Cohen, Lisa Kudrow, Lauren Ambrose, Anthony Rapp
Director: Don Roos

Plot Synopsis: Academy Award winner Natalie Portman ("Black Swan") in an "utterly fearless performance" (Rob Nelson, Variety) stars as a newlywed trying to cope with guilt and loss in this sensitive and compelling modern drama adapted by writer-director Don Roos ("The Opposite of Sex") from the novel by Ayelet Waldman. Portman plays Emilia, a law-school graduate who falls in love with her married boss, Jack (Scott Cohen, "The Understudy"). After Emilia marries Jack, her happiness turns unexpectedly to grief following the death of her infant daughter. Devastated, Emilia nonetheless carries on, attempting to forge a connection with her stepson William (Charlie Tahan, "I Am Legend") and to resist the interference of Jack's jealous ex-wife (Lisa Kudrow, "Easy A," "The Opposite of Sex"). Don Roos ("Happy Endings," "Bounce") demonstrates his keen eye for the nuances of love, loss, and rebuilding life in this heartfelt and touching drama.


The Roommate [Blu-ray]

Sony / 2011 / 91 Minutes / Rated PG-13
Street Date: May 17, 2011








Genres: Thriller, suspense

Starring: Minka Kelly and Leighton Meester
Director: Christian E Christiensen

Plot Synopsis: She's cute. She's loyal. She's psychotic. And, unfortunately for college freshman Sara (Minka Kelly) she's The Roommate. When Sara arrives at school, she finds new romance with Stephen (Cam Gigandet) and forms a fast friendship with her roommate Rebecca (Leighton Meester). What begins as camaraderie soon turns creepy, and Sara comes face-to-face with the terrifying realization that her new best friend is obsessive, unbalanced...and maybe even a killer!


Other releases/ Back catalog releases:










THOR Still Holding Strong For 2nd Week Race

 
        Last weekend the super hero adventure Thor held firmly to the number one spot in its second weekend with a solid hold while the raunchy comedy Bridesmaids scored an impressive debut in second place. April's Brazil-set blockbusters Fast Five and Rio both remained in the top five thanks to good legs while the new 3D thriller Priest debuted in fourth with moderate results. Overall ticket sales were nearly even with last year's red hot frame.
          Dropping only 47% in its sophomore frame, Paramount's comic hit Thor grossed $34.7M according to final studio figures to lead the North American box office with what was an unusually low drop for a super hero flick. The critically-praised actioner has amassed $119.5M in its first ten days and now looks on course to possibly reach the $200M mark. Thor's drop was a bit better than the 48% decline that the well-liked Iron Man enjoyed in May 2008 so the road ahead could also be bright if good word-of-mouth continues to spread. In fact among Marvel's stable of summer super hero films that launched franchises, only 2002's Spider-Man had a smaller second weekend drop with 38%.
          Competition will be tough though as this Friday Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides launches in over 4,000 theaters followed six days later by high-profile sequels to The Hangover and Kung Fu Panda. Thor is playing well to kids with Saturday surging by an impressive 66% from Friday. Overseas, Thor commanded $27.5M this weekend from 60 territories, down 40%, putting the international take at $225M with the global tally climbing to $344.5M.
Kristin Wiig anchored the first of what could be many hit comedies as her raunchy wedding-themed film Bridesmaids opened better than expected with $26.2M taking the runnerup spot. The latest hit from resurgent Universal averaged a strong $8,995 from 2,918 locations and showed Hollywood that a quality female-dominated R-rated comedy could score with paying moviegoers. With strong reviews and a marketplace dominated by testosterone action movies, Bridesmaids was the right film at the right time and connected with an underserved audience. And with a healthy 36% Friday-to-Saturday jump, strong legs could kick in soon despite a moderate B+ CinemaScore grade.
         The Judd Apatow production was not high on starpower but Wiig (who co-wrote and co-produced) and co-star Maya Rudolph have built up a sizable fan base from their years on Saturday Night Live. The unique wedding-themed premise and great title helped it to generate excitement with its target audience of adult women. Studio research showed that females made up 67% of the crowd while those over 30 were 63%. Bridesmaids now hopes that good buzz will help it reach a broader audience in the weeks ahead, though competition will be tough with Johnny Depp set to attack multiplexes next weekend stealing away audiences of all shapes and sizes. Still, with a cost of only $33M after production credits, Bridesmaids looks to be a profitable hit for Universal and could help greenlight more female-driven comedies and fill up Wiig's work schedule for years to come.
         Fast Five finished in third place for the session and became the year's biggest global grosser in the process. The Universal action sequel dropped by only 37% in its third lap to $20.4M boosting the 17-day domestic cume to $169.7M. Breaking $200M now seems very likely. Overseas, Fast Five hauled in a hefty $58M this weekend - off only 33% - raising the international total to $271.7M and the global score to a stellar $441M. Five is now the top-grossing installment of the franchise domestically, internationally and worldwide. Look for the Rio-set hit to race past the $500M mark next weekend.
         The 3D supernatural thriller Priest debuted in fourth place with a decent $15M. Sony's stylish PG-13 vampire pic averaged $5,221 from 2,864 locations. Sales were flat from Friday to Saturday which was not bad since these types of thrillers often drop on the second day, plus the marketing campaign was specifically pushing the Friday the 13th opening day. Males made up 57% of the audience with those over 25 also coming in at 57%, according to studio research. Priest opened in the U.K. a week earlier and debuted in several other international markets for a $16.7M international take this weekend lifting the overseas total to $25.6M and the worldwide figure to $40.6M.
         Posting the best hold by far of any film in the top ten was the 3D animated hit Rio which faced zero competition from new films and dipped a scant 3% to $8.3M in its fifth frame. Fox has collected a solid $125.2M thus far from North America.
         Sophomore wedding comedies both lost about half of their audiences this weekend. Sony's Jumping the Broom fell 54% to $7.1M for a ten-day total of $25.8M while the Warner Bros. release Something Borrowed grossed $6.9M, down 51%, for a similar $25.5M sum in ten days. Each should finish near the $40M mark even though Broom cost less to both produce and market.
         Water for Elephants enjoyed another good hold despite the arrival of a rival pic aimed at adult women grossing $4.2M, down just 31%, for a $48.6M total for Fox. Madea's Big Happy Family fell 47% to $2.2M giving Lionsgate $50.2M to date. Sony's Soul Surfer rounded out the top ten dipping only 21% to $1.8M putting the PG-rated drama at $39.2M.
# Title May 13 - 15


Weeks
Cumulative Distributor










1 Thor $ 34,703,035


2
$ 119,455,352 Paramount
2 Bridesmaids 26,247,410


1
26,247,410 Universal
3 Fast Five 20,444,270


3
169,690,470 Universal
4 Priest 14,953,664


1
14,953,664 Sony
5 Rio 8,275,058


5
125,243,198 Fox
6 Jumping the Broom 7,066,190


2
25,760,004 Sony
7 Something Borrowed 6,872,221


2
25,518,733 Warner Bros.
8 Water for Elephants 4,203,095


4
48,578,875 Fox
9 Madea's Big Happy Family 2,214,033


4
50,232,182 Lionsgate
10 Soul Surfer 1,826,788


6
39,232,956 Sony










11 Hoodwinked Too! 1,151,268


3
8,562,861 Weinstein Co.
12 Insidious 958,323


7
51,674,312 FilmDistrict
13 Prom 939,043


3
8,971,930 Disney
14 Source Code 837,279


7
52,233,801 Summit
15 Everything Must Go 791,677


1
791,677 Roadside Attr.
16 African Cats 667,187


4
14,039,566 Disney
17 The Conspirator 464,168


5
10,492,274 Roadside Attr.
18 Hanna 445,000


6
38,467,000 Focus
19 Win Win 405,290


8
8,934,332 Fox Searchlight
20 Hop 401,625


7
106,854,715 Universal

Blu-ray 10th May Releases

No Strings Attached (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy)

Paramount / 2011 / 108 Minutes / Rated R
Street Date: May 10, 2011 

 

 

 

 

 

Genres: Romantic comedy

Starring: Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher
Director: Ivan Reitman

Plot Synopsis: No Strings Attached asks the question, "Could you do it?" Meaning, could you have a strictly physical relationship with Natalie Portman or Ashton Kutcher--and not start to fall for them? Under the deft direction of Ivan Reitman, No Strings Attached delivers a surprisingly sophisticated twist on the sex comedy genre, with much more nuance than a viewer might expect. The leads are perfectly cast. Portman is light and wily, a natural for romantic comedies; Kutcher, always charming, has rarely been sexier. The chemistry between their characters, Emma and Adam, is palpable and practically jumps off the screen. (Note to parents: There is a strong raunch factor in No Strings Attached; it's definitely not for younger viewers.) The premise is an age-old one--can good friends become "friends with benefits" without anyone's developing feelings--or getting one's feelings hurt? The answers are less interesting than the frothy journey taken by No Strings Attached. A key reason is the script and great direction. And the supporting cast, including Kevin Kline in a welcome return to films, who plays Adam's randy, pot-smoking dad who hooks up with one of Adam's exes. (Kline also contributes a song to the endearing soundtrack.) At times No Strings Attached is so crudely intimate that the viewer almost feels like an intruder on Emma and Adam's private moments. But that trick tends to make the movie that much more believable. No Strings Attached is a frothy, fun comedy, and a perfect date movie--but probably not a first date movie.

 

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Mighty 'THOR' Satisfied Comic Based Fans



          Last weekend, the latest super hero from the Marvel vault made his debut on the silver screen as Thor soared to a number one opening in North America. The sequel Fast Five fell sharply but finished in second with a hefty take of its own as both films continued to fight it out across the global box office. Rival wedding comedies battled it out for third place with the black-led Jumping the Broom edging out the white-led Something Borrowed despite playing in 900 fewer theaters. But the overall marketplace could not match up to last year's frame which saw a gargantuan bow from a bigger comic book avenger - Iron Man 2.
          Doubling its nearest competitor, the effects-driven super hero flick Thor bowed on top with $65.7M from 3,955 locations for a muscular $16,618 average, according to final studio figures. Presented in 3D and in IMAX, the PG-13 film directed by Kenneth Branagh earned rave reviews and delivered strong debuts around the world before landing in North America this weekend. Technically speaking, Thor generated the third best opening for a debuting Marvel franchise after 2002's Spider-Man and 2008's Iron Man which also launched on the first weekends of May. However, other films like 2000's X-Men, 2003's The Hulk, and 2005's Fantastic Four all sold more tickets and at today's prices would have opening weekend tallies better than Thor's. None of those films benefited from IMAX or 3D price hikes either.
         Paramount's Norse God flick starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, and Anthony Hopkins played to super hero fans as expected. 63% of the audience was male and 72% was over 25. 3D screens contributed 60% of the gross for the converted pic. The CinemaScore was a B+ meaning that critics loved the film, and regular moviegoers just liked it. Thor will return to screens next year on the first weekend of May alongside Iron Man, Captain America, and The Hulk when Marvel's long-awaited The Avengers debuts through Disney.
          Overseas, Thor grossed an estimated $46M this weekend from 60 markets boosting the international total to $176M and the global haul to $242M. With a more European feel to its story and characters, the film should see a larger share of its worldwide tally come from overseas than most American super hero films.
          After a scorching debut last weekend that resulted in the year's best opening, the action sequel Fast Five hit the brakes and decelerated by an understandable 62% but still collected $32.4M in its sophomore frame. The last three sequels in the series all dropped by 59-63% in the second weekend so the new installment is in line with how the franchise plays out. The Universal hit has banked a stellar $139.8M in ten days of domestic release and looks headed for $180-190M.
          Sony enjoyed a surprisingly strong debut for its wedding comedy Jumping the Broom which grossed $15.2M this weekend with Mothers Day performing much stronger than originally estimated and actually improving on Saturday. The $6.6M-budgeted production was expected to reach a maximum of $10M so the performance was very impressive as the average came in at a solid $7,477 from only 2,035 sites. The PG-13 film starring Angela Bassett enjoyed a sturdy 25% boost in sales on Saturday and then climbed another 13% on Sunday. Broom played to a mature female African American audience with exit polls showing that 70% of the crowd was female and 64% was over 35. A very high 95% stated that the film was "excellent" or "very good" and the CinemaScore grade was an encouraging A so good word-of-mouth should spread.
          Hollywood's alternative wedding offering for white folks, Something Borrowed starring Ginnifer Goodwin and Kate Hudson, debuted to $13.9M putting it in fourth place. The Warner Bros. title averaged a decent $4,802 from 2,904 theaters and played to a female audience not interested in super heroes and fast cars. Critics were brutal in their reviews and Saturday sales climbed only 2% so Borrowed will have to work hard during the weeks ahead.
          Fox followed with a pair of films. The 3D animated hit Rio grossed $8.5M, off 43%, for a cume to date of $115.2M after 24 days. The Reese Witherspoon-Robert Pattinson romance Water for Elephants dropped 35% to $6.1M taking in $42.1M to date.
          Madea's Big Happy Family tumbled 58% in its third round to $4.2M while the high school flick Prom grabbed $2.2M, down 53%. Totals are $47.1M for Lionsgate and $7.6M for Disney.
Sony's Soul Surfer slipped only 32% to $2.3M for $36.9M overall while Hoodwinked Too! fell a steep 50% to $2M giving The Weinstein Co. a dismal $6.9M in ten days.
          Summit's Mel Gibson film The Beaver directed by and co-starring Jodie Foster was met with indifference from arthouse audiences debuting to just $107,577 from 22 theaters for a dull $4,890 average. Earning somewhat good reviews, the $21M production will expand on May 20 in North America although the limited bow suggests that the road ahead will be troublesome. Given Gibson's very public personal problems over the last few years there are many that will not spend a dime on his movies and Beaver lacks any must-see buzz to make it an exception.

# Title May 6 - 8


Weeks
Cumulative Distributor










1 Thor $ 65,723,338


1
$ 65,723,338 Paramount
2 Fast Five 32,445,320


2
139,779,285 Universal
3 Jumping the Broom 15,215,487


1
15,215,487 Sony
4 Something Borrowed 13,945,368


1
13,945,368 Warner Bros.
5 Rio 8,504,001


4
115,206,069 Fox
6 Water for Elephants 6,069,603


3
42,083,220 Fox
7 Madea's Big Happy Family 4,178,886


3
47,085,218 Lionsgate
8 Soul Surfer 2,307,161


5
36,886,282 Sony
9 Prom 2,214,585


2
7,590,030 Disney
10 Hoodwinked Too! 2,042,603


2
6,876,217 Weinstein Co.










11 Insidious 1,338,860


6
50,319,115 FilmDistrict
12 Source Code 1,244,774


6
50,944,922 Summit
13 African Cats 1,066,163


3
12,895,884 Disney
14 Hanna 836,209


5
37,634,307 Focus
15 There Be Dragons 705,537


1
705,537 Goldwyn
16 Scream 4 701,100


4
36,920,190 Weinstein Co.
17 The Conspirator 616,656


4
9,791,309 Roadside Attr.
18 Win Win 528,842


7
8,351,373 Fox Searchlight
19 Hop 496,075


6
106,358,260 Universal
20 Limitless 486,658


8
77,006,417 Relativity