As movie buffs watched the Academy Awards to see The Hurt Locker seemingly sweep the major categories such as Best Picture and Best Director, we also found ourselves mesmerized this weekend at the theaters as Alice in Wonderland broke the $100 million mark.
It was no surprise that Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland swept into its opening weekend with a first place finish. In its very first week, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and crew were a draw for fans who spent $116 million nationwide. As for second place, Ethan Hawke’s film, Brooklyn’s Finest by Overture Films, took in $13,350,299 million. Third place saw Paramount Pictures’ Shutter Island come in close with $13,225,411 domestic box office receipts.
In other film news, Avatar continues to hold strong as it came into fifth place with its longevity in the box office. The Crazies, Valentine’s Day, Crazy Heart and Dear John all rounded out the top ten.
Interestingly enough, films nominated for an Oscar did not necessarily boost box office sales. Avatar had already proven itself at the box office while the little film that could, The Hurt Locker, had played out its run as the film was released on DVD on January 12. It was re-released into theaters after the nominations and expanded to 274 theaters nationwide by this past weekend but didn’t break the top ten. And although Precious held its own this past weekend, it too did not surpass the top ten mark and other than its win for best supporting actress and adapted screenplay, its unlikely it will be expanded into more theaters as a result of the Oscars.
Precious had expanded into theaters after nominations and has earned $47.4 million since its original release.
The box office top 10
1. Alice in Wonderland, $116,101,023
2. Brooklyn’s Finest, $13,350,299
3. Shutter Island, $13,225,411)
4. Cop Out, $9,289,311
5. Avatar, $8,118,102
6. The Crazies, $7,078,851
7. Percy Jackson & The Olympians: Lightning, $5,124,623
8. Valentine’s Day, $4,154,110
9. Crazy Heart, $3,312,591
10. Dear John, $2,782,079
Read on for more movies
Alice in Wonderland exclusive video interview: Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter
Johnny Depp dishes Alice in Wonderland
Review: Alice in Wonderland is wonderous!
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