This weekend’s US box office came down to a battle of the books as Dr Seuss’ The Lorax, the reigning champ after a week at the top, took on newcomer John Carter, which was adapted from Edgar Rice Burroughs’ sci-fi literature. And it was a win for Seuss as the furry orange forest dweller dropped 44% and managed to haul in $39.1 million. Andrew Stanton’s live action debut, meanwhile, managed $30.6 million, which would be a respectable opening for most films but may not please the studio accountants given the movie’s hefty budget. Disney can take comfort, however, from the fact that Carter managed to do more business overseas.
Project X slipped to third place, making $11.5 million, which puts it ahead of new horror arrival Silent House. That Elizabeth Olsen film entered the charts in fourth with $7.1 million. Navy SEALs action fest Act Of Valor rounded out the top five with $7 million.
Eddie Murphy’s latest stab at family comedy (well, we say latest, but it was made in 2008 and has sat on the shelf until now), **A Thousand Words **was dumped in sixth place with $6.3 million. Safe House fell from fourth to seventh, earning $5 million, while The Vow was eighth with $4 million. At ninth we find This Means War taking $3.7 million and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island clung on in the top 10 with $3.6 million.
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