Weekend Box Office: ROTPOTA Goes Apesh*t, Change-Up Pees the Fountain

One thing to consider when you look at this week’s numbers: Rise of the Planet of the Apes earned $54 million WITHOUT higher-priced 3D screenings. It seemed weird that they wouldn’t make it in 3D, but nice that I didn’t have to watch it in 3D (Captain America‘s 3D was like wearing sunglasses at night — sucked). But if you compare ROTPOTA to higher-grossing movies like Thor ($61 million with 60% of that from 3D) and Captain America ($65 million with 40% 3D), it was actually better attended. And it was better. I don’t know how it came to be that Fox made two of the best blockbusters this summer (ROTPOTA and X-Men: First Class), but it’s weirding me out. I want my country back. Okay, they also made Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Phew. For a second there, I thought I was going to have to put a cat pillow in the dog house.

Oh, and The Change-Up bombed. Shocking, right? Seemed like such a fresh concept, and everyone seemed to love it.

This Week
Last Week
Title
Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week #
1 N Rise of the Planet of the Apes $54,000,000 3,648 $14,803 $54,000,000 $93 1
2 2 The Smurfs $21,000,000 -41.0% 3,395 $6,186 $76,202,000 $110 2
3 1 Cowboys & Aliens $15,748,000 -56.8% 3,754 +4 $4,195 $67,368,000 $163 2
4 N The Change-Up $13,502,000 2,913 $4,635 $13,502,000 $52 1
5 3 Captain America: The First Avenger $13,000,000 -49.1% 3,620 -95 $3,591 $143,182,000 $140 3
6 4 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 $12,160,000 -44.7% 3,175 -970 $3,830 $342,801,000 4
7 5 Crazy, Stupid, Love. $12,100,000 -36.7% 3,020 $4,007 $42,185,000 $50 2
8 6 Friends with Benefits $4,700,000 -49.3% 2,398 -528 $1,960 $48,538,000 $35 3
9 7 Horrible Bosses $4,620,000 -35.7% 2,025 -485 $2,281 $105,162,000 $35 5
10 8 Transformers: Dark of the Moon $3,015,000 -50.5% 1,854 -750 $1,626 $344,173,000 $195 6

[via BoxOfficeMojo]

After the jump: FANTASY SUMMER BOX OFFICE standings.

Fantasy Box Office Standings:

Vince’s Picks:

1. Harry Potter ($168.5 million opening)
2. X-Men: First Class ($55.1 million)
3. Green Lantern ($53 million)
4. Rise of the Planet of the Apes ($54 million)
BOMB PICK: The Change Up ($52 million budget minus $13.5 million opening = $38.5 million)

Running Total: $369.1 million

Ben’s (The Ear Rapist) Picks:

1. Cars 2 ($66 million)
2. Super 8 ($35.45 million)
3. Zookeeper ($21 million)
4. Friends with Benefits ($18.6)
BOMB PICK: The Smurfs ($110 million budget minus $36.2 million = $73.8 million)

Running Total: $214.85

Brendan’s (Human Giant) Picks:

1. Transformers 3 ($98 million)
2. Captain America ($65 million)
3. Bad Teacher ($31 million)
4. Mr. Popper’s Penguins ($18.2 million)
BOMB PICK: Green Lantern ($200 million production budget minus $53 million gross = $147 million)

Running Total: $359.2 million

Bret’s (Grumpiest Man Alive) Picks:

1. Cowboys and Aliens ($36.2 million)
2. Smurfs ($36.2 million)
3. Spy Kids 4
4. Horrible Bosses ($28 million)
BOMB PICK: Transformers 3 ($195 million budget minus $98 million opening = – $97 million. A surprisingly decent pick).

Running Total: $197.4 million

Well unless Spy Kids makes like $200 in its opening weekend, it seems I have prevailed. I’d brag more, but last week I think I said I expected ROTPOTA to do between $30 and $40 million. Of course, that was before it turned out to be a dumb-but-fun movie. Who knows what it could’ve done if Fox hadn’t embargoed all the reviews until the night before the release. They treated it like a movie they didn’t expect anyone to like.