Box-Office Wrap-Up: Stunner at the Top as ‘Lion King’ Takes Two Weeks in a Row, Besting ‘Moneyball’

Apparently I was over-estimating how well this film would do on the weekend after it brought in $6.7 million on Friday. I thought it would top out around $24 million and with an A CinemaScore I’m still surprised it didn’t. However, if it’s going to lose to any movie, I guess the highest grossing hand-drawn animated movie of all-time is a good one to lose to.

As far as predictions go, Laremy did well, but it’s hard to beat Kyle Coley’s $20.5 million prediction. Good on yah Kyle.

This will be interesting. There’s a chance Moneyball could drop from 1st on Friday to third for the weekend should estimates on Dolphin Tale be a little farther off than Moneyball. And now, this wouldn’t surprise me. This film looked like a good, heart-warming family film, why wouldn’t families go see it?

Laremy damn near hit it right on the button with his prediction, but most of the user predictions were quite low. And guess what, it was Kyle Coley once again with the closest prediction of the bunch at $18.5. Only one prediction was actually over and that was a $32 million bid that just dared to dream a little too high.

Taylor Lautner’s bid at becoming an action star didn’t exactly start out a booming success. I have to wonder what Lionsgate actually expected here. I’m sure once foreign numbers and DVD and Blu-ray sales come in the $35 million budget won’t look too bad, but it’s hardly a model you want to follow for too many films especially when you are banking so hard on less than average talent. I mean, look at that 3% RottenTomatoes score. Yikes!

On the prediction side of things, one again Laremy was spot on and while Kyle tried to get in there once again, it was mfan’s $11 million bid that comes closest.

Look at that, another new release and another pick in which Laremy was dialed in. I guess when it comes to generic actioners Laremy knows what he’s doing. On the user end Sensei White Lotus and a $10.3 million prediction comes closest from the readers.

But predictions are only a blip on the radar when it comes to this film, forget Abduction and its $35 million budget and tabloid star, Killer Elite had a $70 million budget! What the what?!? That is insanity… or, is there something I don’t know about how much money this will make overseas? Hmmmm… entirely possible, but we’ll have to wait and see.

There isn’t much to say about this film except it has almost managed to match its $60 million budget. Big whoop.

Almost a 50% drop for one of my favorite films of the year. No real surprise there, I never thought this would have much general audience appeal. Too slow and atmospheric.

Seven weeks in theaters and seven weeks in the top ten. I’m almost ready to considering this a lock for a Best Picture nomination and just leave it in my seventh slot for good.

Now this is a box-office bomb and it was only made for $25 million. I can understand it, the name Rod Lurie doesn’t exactly draw in the audiences the way Sam Peckinpah used to and the cast isn’t any more of a draw considering we’re talking about a movie centered on red neck violence in the deep South.

Bomb-o number two in a row. The marketing on this one really did it no favors.