There was a lot of new movies demanding attention this weekend, and the love from audiences was spread pretty thin.
Number one went to Elysium, banking just $30 million. That's a let down for director Neill Blomkamp whose last rated R sci-fi film (and his first every feature film as well), District 9 managed a $37 million opening in 2009, and that was without big names like Damon and Foster on the billing.
Raunch-com We're The Millers took second place with $26 million, bringing its total since opening earlier this week to $38 million, putting it solidly in the black compared with its $37 million production budget.
Disney Animation Studio's first attempt at making a Pixar spin-off fell flat. Planes, a limp and poorly received effort by Disney to capitolize on its sister studio's Cars franchise, opened in 3rd place with just $22 million. The weak debut not only falls short by Pixar opening standards, it's a low ball for Disney as well, whose recent animated features like Wreck-It Ralph and Tangled opened nearer to $50 million.
The final new comer this weekend, sequel Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. had a debut that might well be the final nail in the franchise's coffin. After the first entry Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief had a dubious run with just $226 million world-wide, doubts of a second were tossed around. Sea of Monsters had an opening of just $14 million, with only $33 million in world-wide sales to date against its $90 million budget. Not exactly a vote of olypmic proportions.
For the full weekend top ten, check out the chart below:
