'Transformers' Edges Out 'Ice Age'

Turns out Paramount's "Transformers 2" edged out Fox’s first 3-D release, “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” at the weekend box office by less than $1 million.

"Transformers 2" ended up with $42.4 million, while "Ice Age" grossed $41.6 million. 

“The second movie was a phenomenon worldwide,” said Chris Aronson, senior VP of domestic distribution for Fox. “This just carries through with the notion of how popular (the ‘Ice Age’ franchise) is both overseas and domestically.”

Released in March 2006, the second franchise installment, “Ice Age: The Meltdown,” finished with $652 million in global receipts.

Meanwhile, continuing to build on its record-breaking first-week performance, “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” took in another $10.7 million Saturday playing at 4,234 locations and bringing its domestic total to $293.5 million.

Combined with $298 million in overseas ticket sales, the second of Michael Bay’s “Transformers” movies has taken in $591.4 million globally.

In third place, counter-programming its way through the weekend, Universal’s “Public Enemies” secured another $6.9 million on Saturday to bring its three-day weekend take to $26.2.

The Michael Mann gangster film’s total after five days of release stands at $41 million, a figure that surpasses the opening weekends for a number of adult-targeted summer releases that Universal had been comparing the movie to.

For example, “Collateral,” another one of Mann’s star-driven (Tom Cruise) films, released in the summer of 2004, took in $24.7 million for its three-day premiere, on the way to eventually grossing $101 million in North America.

“You do over $40 million and you’re talking about the highest end of the kind of start you could hope for,” said Adam Fogelson, president of marketing and distribution for Universal.

While “Public Enemies,” which stars Johnny Depp as gunslinger John Dillinger skewed towards men, Fogelson said 47% of audience members were actually female.

“This is not a one-dimensional film at all,” he said. “It’s not as though the movie cherry-picked from a small demo and it’s going to run out of audience in one week. We feel good about this start. There are a lot of movies out there doing good business, but there’s nothing out there that scratches this itch. It will be in the marketplace for at least the next month.”

Showing the kind of legs “Public Enemies” is striving for, Disney’s “The Proposal” finished fourth at the weekend box office, adding $12.8 million to a three-week total that has reached $94.2 million

Warner Bros.’ “The Hangover” continues to rack up the grosses, finishing fifth with $10.4 million. Its five-week total now stands at an impressive $204.2 million

“Up,” meanwhile, added $6.6 million to its domestic coffers, which now tally $264.9 million, a typical number of a Disney/Pixar release.

In limited-release action, Woody Allen’s “Whatever Works,” starring Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood added 320 theaters and has jumped into the top 15 box-officer earners, according to Hollywood.com.

Released by Sony Pictures Classics, the movie has taken in more than $2 million after three weeks of release.

Also notable, Summit Entertainment’s “The Hurt Locker” added another $126,000 to its tally over the weekend, playing at nine locations in New York and Los Angeles.

 

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