By:DAVID GERMAIN
LOS ANGELES (AP) — "The
Avengers" continues to muscle out everything else Hollywood throws at it,
easily sinking naval rival "Battleship" and other new releases.
With $55.1 million domestically,
Disney's superhero sensation remained No. 1 for a third-straight weekend and
took in more than the three big newcomers combined. Overseas,
"The
Avengers" added an additional $56 million.
The film is approaching the $1.2
billion mark worldwide, totaling $457.1 million domestically and $723.3 million
internationally.
"'The Avengers' is dominating
the marketplace so profoundly that the newcomers are having a tough time
breaking in now," said Paul Dergarabedian, analyst for box-office tracker
Hollywood.com.
Universal's "Battleship"
opened a distant No. 2 with $25.4 million domestically, well below industry
expectations.
But the board-game adaptation
starring Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna already has grossed $226.8
million overseas since launching in April, giving it a worldwide total of
$252.1 million.
"I would be glad to be No. 2 if
we opened to a better number. But given the presence of an absolute juggernaut
in the marketplace, there's nothing you can do," said Nikki Rocco, head of
distribution for Universal. "Not to have a shot at being No. 1 this
weekend is disappointing. But it's a challenge with 'Avengers' out there."
Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy "The
Dictator," in which he plays a tyrannical third-world leader, debuted in
third-place with $17.4 million for the weekend. Since opening Wednesday, the
Paramount release has taken in $24.5 million.
"The Dictator" opened with
$30.3 million in 29 overseas markets, giving it a worldwide haul of $54.8
million.
Paramount executives said they were
happy with that start, but even a movie aiming for laughs had some trouble
making in-roads against "The Avengers."
"This is a full-out comedy,
very different than 'Avengers.' But when you've got a movie that big, it just
absolutely sucks up the marketplace," said Anthony Marcoly, head of
international distribution for Paramount. "But it's also good for the
entire business. Hopefully, those that see 'Avengers' will go, 'Hey, I want to
see another movie,' and hopefully, they'll think of our movie as a next
choice."
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton's vampire
romp "Dark Shadows," which opened in second-place a week earlier,
slipped to No. 4 with $12.8 million. The Warner Bros. release lifted its
domestic total to $50.9 million, a weak result compared to the previous
Depp-Burton blockbusters "Alice in Wonderland" and "Charlie and
the Chocolate Factory."
Lionsgate's pregnancy comedy
"What to Expect When You're Expecting," featuring Cameron Diaz and
Jennifer Lopez, premiered at No. 5 with $10.5 million.
"The Avengers" and the
newcomers were unable to maintain Hollywood's sizzling start to the summer
season. Overall domestic revenues totaled $144 million, down 14 percent from
the same weekend last year, when "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger
Tides" opened with $90.2 million, according to Hollywood.com.
At $1.18 billion worldwide,
"The Avengers" climbed to the No. 4 spot on the all-time charts,
trailing only "Avatar" ($2.8 billion), "Titanic" ($2.2
billion) and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" ($1.3
billion).
Domestically, "The
Avengers" at $457.1 million is No. 6 all-time but will quickly pass
"Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace" ($474.5 million) and the
original "Star Wars" ($460.9 million) to take the No. 4 spot.
"Avatar" is No. 1
domestically at $760.5 million, followed by "Titanic" at $658.5
million and "The Dark Knight" at $533.3 million.
Factoring in today's higher
admission prices, many older movies sold more tickets than "The
Avengers," which also has a price advantage because of the extra few
dollars it costs to see the 3-D version.
But the Marvel Comics superhero
ensemble has proved an overwhelming lure, drawing in all audience segments and
packing in some fans who are seeing it over and over.
"It's a contagious thing that
gets not just them back, but their friends back to see it again," said
Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney. "I'm always happy to see a
friendly competition among friends to see who can see the movie the most
times."source
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