Unlike last weekend, where movies such as Hall Pass and Gnomeo and Juliet jockeyed for position endlessly, we have a clear winner this time out with Gore Verbinski and Johnny Depp’s animated adventure Rango scoring a solid $38 million, the highest non-holiday opening so far for this young year.
Despite the seemingly healthy cash intake, this is another weekend being talked about as a disappointment, causing much wringing of hands about the faltering box office. Still, the team behind The Adjustment Bureau will likely be happy with $20.1 million for second place. There’ll be less to celebrate at casa del Beastly, with the Alex Pettyfer/Vanessa Hudgens fairytale update launching in third place with $10.1 million. Still, given the teen drama’s relatively lower production cost, it should make its money back.
Last week’s surprise final result champion, Hall Pass, was pushed to fourth with $9 million, while ‘toon Gnomeo and Juliet took a family audience hit and slipped to fifth with $6.9 million.
Liam Neeson thriller Unknown was down from third to sixth and $6.6 million, while The King’s Speech used some of its Oscar heat to rise back up from eighth to seventh and $6.51 million. Adam Sandler’s Just Go With It sank to eighth and $6.5 million, while **I Am Number Four **was ninth with $5.7 million. And squatting at 10th we find Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Oh, and though we don’t normally report on movies outside the top 10, there was bad news for the new Topher Grace/Anna Faris ’80-set comedy drama Take Me Home Tonight, which despite opening in more than 2,000 screens (a few more than Beastly), failed to make much of an impact and began its run with $3.5 million in 11th place.
To become sheriff of the lawless town of statistics, get yourself over to Box Office Mojo, y’hear?