Box Office: Horton Targets Third Best Easter Weekend Ever

By Steve Mason/March 22, 2008 10:42 am EST

Despite the fact that Horton is in its 2nd weekend, it will still likely post the all-time 3rd-best Easter weekend in modern box office history.

ALL-TIME BEST EASTER WEEKEND BOX OFFICE PERFORMERS

  1. Scary Movie – $40.2M

  2. Panic Room – $30M

  3. Horton Hears a Who – $28.15M (estimate)

  4. The Matrix – $27.7M

  5. Liar, Liar – $25.3M

  6. Anger Management – $25M

  7. Blades of Glory – $22.5M

  8. Guess Who – $20.6M

  9. Ice Age: The Meltdown – $20M

  10. U-571 – $19.5M

ALL-TIME BEST 10-DAY GROSSES FOR MOVIES OPENING IN MARCH

  1. 300 – $129.1M

  2. Ice Age: The Meltdown – $115.7M

  3. Horton Hears a Who – $89.52M (estimate)

  4. Ice Age – $87.2M

  5. Wild Hogs – $77M

If the weekend projection hold, Horton will also have posted the all-time 12th-best 10-day gross for an animated film in box office history.

ALL-TIME BEST 10-DAY GROSSES FOR ANIMATED FILMS

  1. Shrek the Third – $203.3M

  2. Shrek 2 – $184.8M

  3. Finding Nemo – $144M

  4. The Incredibles – $143.2M

  5. The Simpsons Movie – $128M

  6. Monsters Inc. – $122.1M

  7. Cars – $117M

  8. Ice Age: The Meltdown – $115.7M

  9. Ratatouille – $109.5M

  10. Madagascar – $100.3M

  11. Happy Feet – $99.2M

  12. Horton Hears a Who – $89.52M (estimate)

  13. Shark Tale – $87.3M

  14. Ice Age – $87.2M

  15. Toy Story 2 – $80.4M

Tyler Perry is quickly becoming the model of box office consistency. His new film, Meet the Browns (Lionsgate), registered a solid $7.7M on Friday, which will likely translate to an opening weekend of just over $20M. Although that’s well off of his career high of $30M for Madea’s Family Reunion, his 2nd film, this would give Perry his 4th $20M+ opening in 5 attempts.

ALL-TIME TYLER PERRY OPENINGS

  1. Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion – $30M opening

  2. Diary of a Mad Black Woman – $21.9M opening

  3. Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married – $21.3M opening

  4. Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns – $20.1M opening (estimate)

  5. Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls – $11.2M opening

Fox’s horror flick Shutter was #3 on Friday with $4.4M compared to $4M for Drillbit Taylor (Paramount). The poorly-reviewed Owen Wilson vehicle will most likely finish 3rd for the weekend, narrowly edging Shutter, which wasn’t screened for critics. Both of the new wide releases should crack $10M for the holiday 3-day.

Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner Under the Same Moon (Weinstein) is receiving a warm reception at 266 locations. The well-reviewed drama, which opened on Wednesday, grabbed $620,000 or so on Friday, and it should crack $2M for the weekend. That would translate as a $7,800+ Per Theatre Average.

A large number of specialty films hit the market this weekend, and several are noteworthy. The documentary Planet B-Boy (Elephant Eye Films), about a break dancing competition in Europe, seized $12,000 at 2 locations on Friday for a $6,000 PTA. That could mean as much as a $16,000 per screen for the weekend. The Korean film Boarding Gate (Magnolia) appears headed for a $13,000 take at its single 3-day  engagement, and the Oscar winner The Counterfeiters (Sony Classics) and Meet the Browns will both figure prominently in the weekend PTA race. Here’s a rough early estimate of the likely 10 best Per Theatre performers for the weekend.

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY 3-DAY PTA ESTIMATES

  1. Planet B-Boy (Elephant Eye Films) – $16,000 PTA

  2. Boarding Gate (Magnolia) – $13,000 PTA

  3. The Counterfeiters (Sony Classics) – $10,653 PTA

  4. Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (Lionsgate) – $10,020 PTA

  5. Love Songs (IFC Films) – $10,000 PTA

  6. FLOW: For Love of Water (Independent) – $8,313 PTA

  7. Under the Same Moon (Weinstein) – $7,808 PTA

  8. Horton Hears a Who (Fox) – $7,107 PTA

  9. Race (UTV Communications) – $6,875 PTA

  10. The Grand (Anchor Bay) – $6,500 PTA

EXCLUSIVE FANTASY MOGULS EARLY FRIDAY ESTIMATES

  1. Horton Hears a Who (Fox) – $11.3M – $2,853 PTA – $72.6M

  2. NEW – Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (Lionsgate) – $7.7M – $4,200 PTA – $7.7M cume

  3. NEW â€" Shutter (Fox) – $4.4M – $1,440 PTA – $4.4M cume

  4. NEW â€" Drillbit Taylor (Paramount) – $4M – $1,200 PTA – $4M cume

  5. 10,000 B.C. (Warner Bros) – $3.2M – $926 PTA – $70.6M cume

  6. College Road Trip (Disney) – $1.95M – $757 PTA – $29.3M cume

  7. Never Back Down (Summit) – $1.9M – $696 PTA – $13.8M

  8. Vantage Point (Sony) – $1.4M – $659 PTA – $62.8M cume

  9. The Bank Job (Lionsgate) -$1.3M – $806 PTA – $16.6M cume

  10. Doomsday (Universal) – $745,000 – $385 PTA – $7.4M cume

  11. The Other Boleyn Girl (Sony) – $720,000 – $606 PTA – $21.2M cume

  12. NEW â€" Under the Same Moon (Weinstein) – $620,000 – $2,331 PTA – $1.34M

  13. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Focus) – $435,000 – $819 PTA – $6.4M cume

  14. Semi Pro (New Line) – $420,000 – $367 PTA – $31.6M cume

  15. Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount) – $400,000 – $326 PTA -$66.9M cume

*NEW â€" Race (UTV Communications) – $225,000 – $2,200 PTA – $225,000 cume

*In Bruges (Focus) – $155,000 – $718 PTA – $5.6M cume

*The Counterfeiters (Sony Classics) – $120,000 – $2,449 PTA – $1.4M cume

*Funny Games (Warner Independent) – $80,000 – $276 PTA – $849,000 cume

*No Country For Old Men (Miramax) – $70,000 – $306 PTA – $73.9M

*There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage) – $65,000 – $290 PTA – $39.5M cume

*The Band’s Visit (Sony Classics) – $60,000 – $984 PTA – $1.4M cume

*Married Life (Sony Classics) – $33,000 – $1,269 PTA – $248,000

*NEW â€" The Hammer (International Film Circuit) – $31,000 – $1,542 PTA – $31,000 cume

*Paranoid Park (IFC Films) – $26,000 – $722 PTA – $202,000 cume

*CJ7 (Sony Classics) – $14,000 – $667 PTA – $134,000 cume

*Snow Angels (Warner Independent) – $13,000 – $867 PTA – $69,000 cume

*NEW â€" Planet B-Boy (Elephant Eye Films) – $12,000 – $6,000 PTA – $12,000 cume

*NEW â€" Sleepwalking (Overture) – $7,000 – $101 PTA – $71,000 cume

*NEW â€" Love Songs (IFC Films) – $6,000 – $3,000 PTA – $6,000 cume

*NEW â€" The Grand (Anchor Bay) – $4,154 – $2,077 PTA – $4,154 cume

*NEW â€" Boarding Gate (Magnolia) – $3,851 – $3,851 PTA – $3,851 cume

*NEW â€" FLOW: For Love of Water (Independent) – $2,771 – $2,771 PTA – $2,771 cume

*NEW â€" Irina Palm (Strand) – $1,220 – $1,220 PTA – $1,221 cume

*NEW â€" Shelter (Regent) – $1,215 – $1,215 PTA – $1,215 cume

*NEW – Poisoned by Polonium (Kino) – $624 – $624 PTA – $624 cume

*NEW â€" Kenny (Arcangelo) – $262 – $262 PTA – $262 cume

*NEW â€" Resolved (Independent) – $42 – $42 PTA – $42 cume

*NEW â€" At the Death House Door (Independent) – $14 – $14 PTA – $14 cume

  1. Horton Hears a Who (Fox) – $28.15M – $7,107 PTA – $89.52M

  2. NEW – Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (Lionsgate) – $20.1M – $10,020 PTA – $20.1M cume

  3. NEW â€" Drillbit Taylor (Paramount) – $10.72M – $3,508 PTA – $10.72M cume

  4. NEW â€" Shutter (Fox) – $10.56M – $3,836 PTA – $10.56M cume

  5. 10,000 B.C. (Warner Bros) – $9.25M – $2,678 PTA – $76.7M cume

  6. College Road Trip (Disney) – $7.11M – $2,764 PTA – $34.4M cume

  7. Never Back Down (Summit) – $5.41M – $1,984 PTA – $17.3M

  8. Vantage Point (Sony) – $4.76M – $2,241 PTA – $66.2M cume

  9. The Bank Job (Lionsgate) -$4.61M – $2,861 PTA – $19.9M cume

  10. The Other Boleyn Girl (Sony) – $2.41M – $2,030 PTA – $22.9M cume

  11. Doomsday (Universal) – $2.27M- $1,173 PTA – $8.9M cume

  12. NEW â€" Under the Same Moon (Weinstein) – $2.07M – $7,808 PTA – $2.8M

  13. Spiderwick Chronicles (Paramount) – $1.6M – $1,309 PTA -$68.1M cume

  14. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Focus) – $1.52M – $2,867 PTA – $7.5M cume

  15. Semi Pro (New Line) – $1.38M – $1,212 PTA – $32.5M cume

*NEW â€" Race (UTV Communications) – $660,000 – $6,875 PTA – $660,000 cume

*In Bruges (Focus) – $575,000 – $2,662 PTA – $6M cume

*The Counterfeiters (Sony Classics) – $522,000 – $10,653 PTA – $1.8M cume

*The Band’s Visit (Sony Classics) – $267,000 – $4,377 PTA – $1.6M cume

*Funny Games (Warner Independent) – $252,000 – $869 PTA – $1M cume

*No Country For Old Men (Miramax) – $250,000 – $1,092 PTA – $74.1M

*There Will Be Blood (Paramount Vantage) – $245,000 – $1,094 PTA – $39.7M cume

*Married Life (Sony Classics) – $122,000 – $4,692 PTA – $337,000

*Paranoid Park (IFC Films) – $91,000 – $2,528 PTA – $268,000 cume

*NEW â€" The Hammer (International Film Circuit) – $78,000- $3,900 PTA – $78,000 cume

*Snow Angels (Warner Independent) – $46,000 – $3,067 PTA – $102,000 cume

*CJ7 (Sony Classics) – $41,000 – $1,952 PTA – $161,000 cume

*NEW â€" Planet B-Boy (Elephant Eye Films) – $32,000 – $16,000 PTA – $32,000 cume

*Sleepwalking (Overture) – $24,000 – $348 PTA – $88,000 cume

*NEW – Love Songs (IFC Films) – $20,000 – $10,000 PTA – $20,000 cume

*NEW â€" The Grand (Anchor Bay) – $13,000 – $6,500 PTA – $13,000 cume

*NEW â€" Boarding Gate (Magnolia) – $13,000 – $13,000 PTA – $13,000 cume

*NEW â€" FLOW: For Love of Water (Independent) – $8,313 – $8,313 PTA – $8,313 cume

*NEW â€" Irina Palm (Strand) – $4,270 – $4,270 PTA – $4,270 cume

*NEW â€" Shelter (Regent) – $3,645- $3,645 PTA – $3,645 cume

*NEW â€" Poisoned by Polonium (Kino) – $1,716 – $1,716 PTA – $1,716 cume

*NEW â€" Kenny (Arcangelo) – $668 – $668 PTA – $668 cume

*NEW â€" Resolved (Independent) – $116 – $116 PTA – $116 cume

*NEW â€" At the Death House Door (Independent) – $39 – $39 PTA – $39 cume

Read More at Fantasy Moguls.