Saturday update:
Once again, the tracking wildly missed the mark.
Universal's 3D-animated "Despicable Me," the studio's first joint venture with Chris Meledandri's Illumination Entertainment, opened to $21.7 million in the U.S. and Canada Friday, according to studio estimates, putting the PG-rated, Steve Carell-voiced film on pace for what could be a huge $60 million weekend.
Pre-release estimates called for an opening of around $40 million.
Universal's much needed strong opening of "Despicable" edged out the second-weekend start of Summit Entertainment's third "Twilight" movie, "Eclipse," which dropped about 60 percent week-to-week to $11 million Friday. It's on pace to finish the weekend with about $238 million in North American gross.
In third place was Fox's Robert Rodriguez-produced retooling of the venerable "Predator" sci-fi/action franchise, "Predators," which also debuted strongly to $10.5 million.
Produced at a cost of $38 million, the the R-rated film -- which features unlikely action hereos such as Adrien Brody and Topher Grace -- is on pace for a $25 million-plus weekend. That would also exceed estimates.
In fourth place in its fourth weekend of release, Disney/Pixar's "Toy Story 3" continues to hold 3D exhibition and market share in a very competitive environment, dropping under 40 percent and grossing an estimated $6.7 million Friday.
Not holding up as well in the 3D family-entertainment realm, Paramount's "The Last Airbender" dropped nearly 70 percent on Friday No. 2 to $5.2 million.
Here's how the top 10 at the domestic box office looked on Friday:
"Despicable Me" ($21.7m)
"Twilight Saga: Eclipse" ($11.0m)
"Predators" ($10.5m)
"Toy Story 3" ($6.7m)
"The Last Airbender" ($5.2m)
"Grown Ups" ($5.1m)
"Knight and Day" ($2.4m)
"Karate Kid" ($1.7m)
"The A-Team" ($550,000)
"Cyrus" ($360,000)
Thursday preview:
The 3D crunch is back.
A little more than three months after Warner’s quick decision to convert its “Clash of the Titans” remake to 3D set off an intense competition for 3D screens, three films are once again trying to occupy the same limited 3D exhibition space at the same time.
And things are only slightly less crowded this time around – especially with 190-plus IMAX theaters spread around the country committed to 2D runs of Summit’s “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.”
This weekend, along with Fox’s 2D extension of 1980s sci-fi/action franchise “Predator,” Universal animated family film “Despicable Me” will debut in 3,476 theaters across the U.S. and Canada, 1,551 of them 3D-equipped.
Produced by Illumination Entertainment – the company started by former Fox executive Chris Meledandri – at a cost of around $70 million, and starring the voice of Steve Carell, “Despicable Me” will debut in a 3D exhibition market already pretty full with two holdovers also targeting families.
Entering its fourth weekend with more than $313 million in domestic box office revenue, and with little sign of fading soon, Disney/Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” is booked in more than 2,000 3D-equipped theaters this weekend.
