Nobody expected this latest cinematic take on Total Recall to be a massive summer blockbuster, but with a shiny marketing scheme chock full of futuristic special effects and a noteworthy cast list, a lot of folks figured it would at least open at number one. Instead it lost soundly to three week-old Batman.
The first go at Phillip K. Dick's Total Recall, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, debuted in Summer 1990 at number one to the tune of $25 million. This summer's version settled for second place, with $26 million. While that's a bit higher than its predecessor, take note: the average ticket price in 1990 was almost half today's cost, meaning about twice as many people attended the 1990 opening weekend.
The Dark Knight Rises held on to the number one spot for a third weekend in a row, adding $36 million to its $354 million total. The final piece of Nolan's Batman trilogy is well positioned to overtake this year's number two money-maker, The Hunger Games which is settling in at around $410 million. The Avengers and its nearly $620 million in domestic sales is still safe as the top earner of 2012.
The other new movie this weekend, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, is the third in the movie series to date. The last two films each managed over $20 million opening weekends. Dog Days took a hit in that department, landing at a weak third place with just $14 million.
For the full weekend top ten, check out the chart below:
