Subscribe to our newsletter

Box Office Report: “Ice Age: Continental Drift” opens at $46-M

The cartoon hit $385-M worldwide, “The Amazing Spider-Man” fell to 2nd place at the North American box office with $35-M for a domestic take of $200.9-M.

Ice Age: Continental Drift, the 4th installment in Fox’s prehistoric cartoon series has its cast of characters head to the open seas on a melting Iceberg, kept afloat with an estimated $46-M opening.

The Ice Age movies have been a phenomenon in international markets.

2009′s Dawn of the Dinosaurs, took $886.7-M worldwide, did nearly 78% of its business in foreign territories. And the new movie is also showing real strength abroad. Internationally, it grossed $95-M for the weekend, bringing its international total to date to $339-M, making for a worldwide tally of $385-M.

The new wide release to the crowded North American multiplexes, the 3-D animated movie from Blue Sky Studios which took over 3,881 theaters, captured the top spot, as Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man, which dropped just 44% from its opening weekend, falling into 2nd place with $35-M. The film is expected to cross the $200-M mark domestically today to hit $200.9-M by the end of its 2nd weekend.

In foreign markets, Spider-Man snagged another $66.1-M, its international take now stand at $320.5-M, its worldwide take is $521.4-M.

The PG-rated Ice Age, directed by Steve Martino and Mike Thurmeier came in on par with the original Y 2002 movie, which opened at $46.3-M, and ahead of the last film, Dinosaurs, which opened to $41.7-M. The Ice Age movies have been remarkably consistent, grossing between the first’s $176.4-M and $196.6-M domestically.

With an approving CinemaScore of A-, the newest Ice Age movie is positioned to play well with family audiences over the coming weeks, even if it has had to contend with the continuing strength of Spider-Man and will face the sure-to-be-a-blockbuster arrival of The Dark Knight Rises next weekend.

The fourth Ice Age augmented its established cast of Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah and Denis Leary. Leary, also appears in Spider-Man, gets the weekend’s most valuable player award with a multi-ethnic line-up of new voices that included Jennifer Lopez, Wanda Sykes, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Keke Palmer and Piolin. That gave the Fox marketing forces plenty of new elements to work with, and the movie is playing well in Hispanic markets.

A 4th installment in an animated series is a rarity, and Continental Drift demonstrated the franchise’s continuing appeal by attracting both family and non-family audiences. Its demographic breakdown was evenly split 49% male, 51% female, and was just as evenly split between under- and over-age-25 moviegoers. It took in about 35% of its total gross from 3-D screens.

Oliver Stone’s drama Savages, which opened last weekend in the 4th spot with $16 million, moved down to 6th position with $8.7-M. The Universal release has collected $31.5-M to date.

Paramount’s concert film, Katy Perry: Part of Me bowed last weekend in 8th spot, held on as it took in an additional $3.7-M, to bring its domestic total to $18.6-M.

The R-rated comedy Ted and the R-rated drama Magic Mike both continued to play strongly.

Although Seth McFarlane’s Ted moved from 2nd to 3rd position, it took in $22.1-M to bring the Universal release’s purse to $159 million. Steven Soderbergh’s Mike held onto the fifth slot as it lured in another $9 million to bring the Warners release’s bank account to $91.9 million.

A couple of other animated movies also made the Top 10. Disney/Pixar’s Brave, in its 4th weekend, was number 4 with $10.7-M and a gross-to-date of $195.6-M. DreamWorks Animation/Paramount’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted held the 10th slot with $3.5-M as it climbed above the $200-M mark to hit $203.7-M.

Rounding out the Top 10: Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection, in its 3rd weekend, was #7. The Lionsgate release took in $5.6-M, bringing its total to $55.6-M.

Focus Features’ resilient Indie pic, Moonrise Kingdom, playing in just 924 locations, took 9th place with $3.7-M and a new total of $32.4-M.

Have some fun, see a movie this week.

All the best,

Monica Petrucci from Tinsel Town