Kung Fu Panda 2
Bradley Cooper-Zach Galifianakis’ THE HANGOVER 2 Best Box-Office Debut for Live-Action Comedy
Following Todd Phillips‘ comedy The Hangover Part II at the North American box office on Thursday, May 26, was newcomer Kung Fu Panda 2, which took in an estimated $5.8m according to Box Office Mojo. Kung Fu Panda 2 features the voices of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, and Gary Oldman.
Kung Fu Panda 2’s per-theater average was a relatively modest $1,748. But as a kiddie flick, the Paramount/DreamWorks release should soar over the holiday weekend proper.
Starring Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Sam Claflin, Ian McShane, and Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Rob Marshall’s Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides added $4.54 million, down two spots at no. 3.
At no. 4, Bridesmaids pulled in $2.18m. The Paul Feig-directed comedy features Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Jon Hamm, Rose Byrne, and Jill Clayburgh.
At no. 5, Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, and Tom Hiddleston, drew an estimated $934k. Thus, Thor fell below the $1m-per-day mark on its 21st day out, while also passing the $150m milestone. Total to date: $150.34m.
At no. 6, Paul Walker-Vin Diesel’s Fast Five brought in $619k.
Next in line were Paul Bettany-Cam Gigandet’s Priest with $236k at no. 7 and Ginnifer Goodwin-Kate Hudson’s Something Borrowed with $224k at no. 8.
Rounding out the top twelve were Paula Patton-Angela Bassett’s Jumping the Broom with $159k; Jesse Eisenberg-Anne Hathaway’s Rio with $155k; Reese Witherspoon-Robert Pattinson’s Water for Elephants with $127k; Born to Be Wild with $80k.
Gone from the top twelve were AnnaSophia Robb’s Soul Surfer and Woody Allen-Owen Wilson’s Midnight in Paris, though Allen’s film may resurface over the weekend. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family is gone from the top-twelve for good.
Among the top-twelve movies, The Hangover Part II had by far the highest per-theater average, $8,744. Priest had the lowest, $83.
Also among the top twelve (barring newcomers The Hangover 2 and Kung Fu Panda 2), Rio, after losing 987 locations, posted the highest Wednesday-to-Thursday drop-off rate, -52%. Bridesmaids and Born to Be Wild were the only two movies to post attendance increases, +2% and +13%, respectively.
Photo: Kung Fu Panda 2 (DreamWorks / Paramount)
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