Zack Snyder’s Watchmen stormed the North American box office this weekend with $55.6 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The big-screen adaptation of the celebrated graphic novel scored the widest release ever for an R-rated film, opening at 3,611 locations. The film also collected $4.5 million from midnight screenings early Friday.
Still, Watchmen failed to beat Snyder’s last film 300, which debuted at 3,280 locations two years ago and delivered a $70.8 million opening weekend gross.
At No. 2, Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail earned another $8.8 million, reaching a domestic total of $76.5 million after three weeks in release. Perry's latest has already surpassed the $63.2 million total gross of its predecessor, Madea’s Family Reunion.
Still going strong in third place was Pierre Morel’s thriller Taken, which reached a cumulative gross of $118 million after weekend earnings of $7.4 million.
Following at No. 4 was Danny Boyle’s Academy Award-winner Slumdog Millionaire, which took home $6.9 million for a total haul of $125.4 million.
Meanwhile, Paul Blart: Mall Cop climbed back up to No. 5, earning $4.2 million and bringing its domestic total to $133.6 million. Kevin James’ comedy has been pulling big bucks in the top 10 ever since its January 16 release.
Ken Kwapis’ romantic comedy He’s Just Not That Into, starring Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson (above), Drew Barrymore, and Jennifer Connelly, picked up another $4 million this weekend, reaching a cumulative gross of $84.6 million.
Henry Selick’s 3D stop-motion adventure Coraline followed in seventh place with $3.3 million ($65.6 million total).
At No. 8, Confessions of a Shopaholic, starring Isla Fisher and Hugh Dancy, pulled in $3.1 million for a total gross of $38.2 million after four weeks in release.
Dropping seven spots to No. 9 was Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, which reached a domestic gross of $16.7 million after weekend earnings of $2.7 million.
Rounding out the top 10 was Fired Up!, with Eric Christian Olsen and Nicholas D'Agosto, which brought in $2.6 million, lifting its cumulative gross to $13.3 million after a mediocre three-week run.
Source: Box Office Mojo (www.boxofficemojo.com)
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Watchmen can't be any worse than 300.
Nothing can be worse than 300.