An entire “Battleship” fleet and “The Dictator” cannot defeat Marvel’s “The Avengers.”
“The Avengers” are still going strong after three weeks at the box office by collecting a little over $55 million this weekend. It was a decrease of 46.6 percent, but its total grossed domestically is now over $457 million.
The superheroes movie climbed past “Shrek 2” for the sixth spot in all-time box office gross and should be able to pass “Star Wars” tomorrow at $460 million. It also broke the record for reaching the $450 million in 17 days, which was previously held by 2008’s “The Dark Knight” that took 27 days.
Universal Pictures’ “Battleship” had an expected $25.3 million opening weekend, but a huge disappointment for the $209 million-budgeted movie.
The movie starred Taylor Kitsch, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker and Liam Neeson about the U.S. Navy’s fleet of battleships stopping an alien invasion in the Pacific Ocean.
Paramount Pictures’ “The Dictator” had a good weekend gross of $17.4 million. It earned a total of $24.45 million since its opening on Wednesday.
Lion’s Gate Film’s “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” opened in fifth place with $10.5 million. The comedy starred Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock and Rodrigo Santoro. It takes a comedic look into the lives of several expected couples.
In rounding out the top five, “Dark Shadows” hung around in fourth place with $12.77 million, a decrease of 57 percent from the previous weekend. It will be far short of the break-even point for this $150-budgeted movie.
Here is the WEEKEND BOX REPORT for May 18-20, 2012:
| 1. | Marvel’s The Avengers | $55 million |
| 2. | Battleship | $25.3 million |
| 3. | The Dictator | $17.41 million |
| 4. | Dark Shadows | $12.77 million |
| 5. | What to Expect When You’re Expecting | $10.50 million |
| 6. | The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel | $3.25 million |
| 7. | The Hunger Games | $3 million |
| 8. | Think Like a Man | $2.7 million |
| 9. | The Lucky One | $1.765 million |
| 10. | The Pirates! Band of Misfits | $1.45 million |
