BEHIND THE FRIDAY BOXOFFICE – 3/22/13

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OPENINGS:  THE CROODS (DreamWorks Animation/20th) did well enough to keep the wolves away from DreamWorks’ door, but its $11.6M openung day and likely $43M weekend are hardly impressive–compare them to the $17.5M/$70.2M for The Lorax just a year ago at this time.  You’d have to call the $10.4M opening day for OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (FilmDistrict) impressive, though, a likely $27-28M weekend being considerably higher than most expected for the dismal action movie.  It’s a hit star/producer Gerard Butler sorely needed.

On the next rung down, ADMISSION (Focus/Universal) didn’t get off to much of a start with $2.1M on Friday and a likely $6M weekend at 2160 theatres.  Paul Rudd continues to prove himself one of the best-regarded performers not to be a serious boxoffice draw, and Tina Fey may simply not be a movie star. SPRING BREAKERS (A24) made the same amount (slightly more, actually) at only 1104 theatres, a nice launch.  The question, however, is what word of mouth will be on such an arty, impressionistic tabloid movie.

HOLDOVERS:  OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (Disney) continued not to hold very powerfully, on track for another 45-50% drop to around $20M for the weekend, and still unlikely to make much more than $225M in the US.  Neither THE CALL (TriStar/Sony) nor THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (Warners) enjoyed good word of mouth, down respectively 57% and 64% from last Friday.  Even IDENTITY THIEF (Universal) fell 44% as it shed almost 700 theatres.

LIMITED RELEASE:  STOKER (Fox Searchlight) soldiered on, expanding again this time to 275 theaters for what’s likely to be a lousy $1250 per-theatre average.  THE SAPPHIRES (Weinstein) should have a decent weekend average of $10K at 4 theatres.