Sunday update:
The pairing of TV comedy stars Tina Fey and Steve Carell in a Shawn Levy-directed rom-com produced enough chemistry to exceed pre-release projections and finish No. 1 at the domestic box office with $27.1 million this weekend, according to studio estimates.
The three-day tally for Fox's "Date Night" narrowly edgedd out the week-two total for Warner's "Clash of the Titans," with the 3D-converted epic bringing in $26.9 million over the three-day period.
More to come...
Saturday update:
Living separate lives on the NBC Thursday night schedule, comic actors Tina Fey and Steve Carell connected in the Fox romantic comedy "Date Night," premiering at No. 1 at the domestic box office Friday with $9.3 million, according to studio estimates.
The solid start put the $55 million film, directed by "Night at the Museum's" Shawn Levy, slightly ahead of pre-release projections, as well as last week's box-office champion, Warner 3D conversion "Clash of the Titans."
That epic remake, which stars "Avatar's" Sam Worthington as the sword-wielding Greek god Perseus, dropped 68 percent from its premiere a week earlier with $8.4 million Friday. However, the $125 million film is pacing for a three-day week two gross of around $27 million, which would place it No. 1 by the end of the weekend.
Overall, the domestic box office is on track to be nearly flat with the same April weekend last year, which featured an Easter holiday and a cumulative three-day gross of just under $130 million.
Here's how the top 10 at the domestic box office finished Friday:
“Date Night” ($9.3m)
“Clash of the Titans” ($8.4m)
“How to Train Your Dragon” ($7.2m)
“The Last Song” ($3.6m)
“Why Did I Get Married Too” ($3.5m)
“Hot Tub Time Machine” ($1.8m)
“Alice in Wonderland” ($1.7m)
“The Bounty Hunter” ($1.5m)
“Diary of a Wimpy Kid” ($1.4m)
“Letters to God” ($395,000)
In third place in its third Friday of domestic release, DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" grossed $7.2 million, which was only a 35 percent week-to-week drop.
After all the sturm und drang DreamWorks has endured, given "Dragon's" relatively unfavorable opening compared to the studio's 2009 3D hit "Monsters vs. Aliens," "Dragons" is on pace to finish weekend No. 3 with over $131 million -- a total that would put it less than $10 million off the pace set by "Monsters."
In fourth place Friday, Disney's Nicholas Sparks-penned youth drama "The Last Song" starring Miley Cyrus grossed $3.6 million, putting the $20 million film on track to gross more than $40 million after two weekends in theaters.
In fifth place, Lionsgate Tyler Perry film "Why Did I Get Married Too" dropped 71 percent, taking in just $3.5 million. Also produced for around $20 million, that film is set to have nearly $50 million in domestic gross by the time its second weekend is complete.
Thursday preview:
There's a real clash of the titans heading to the box office this weekend, and the winner might be the mash-up of NBC's Thursday-night comedy stars.
Warner’s 3D-converted Legendary Pictures collaboration “Clash of the Titans” debuted to a box-office-leading $61.2
