Friday Report: 'Sex' Appeal Lessens
Sex and the City 2 topped the Friday box office, but Shrek Forever After was close enough behind that it should wind up leading the weekend as a whole.
Making an estimated $13 million on approximately 6,100 screens at 3,445 locations, Sex and the City 2 slipped nine percent from its Thursday opening day and made less than half of its predecessor's $26.8 million on the same day two years ago. In two days, Sex has grossed $27.2 million, down from the first movie's $44.3 million two-day start. (Read the Weekend Briefing for analysis on why it's doing worse.)
While there was nothing exceptional about Shrek Forever After's hold, the animated sequel nonetheless performed relatively better than Sex and the City 2 and the other new release, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Shrek 4 bagged an estimated $11.4 million, off 45 percent from last Friday, but the gross was still low by Shrek standards. However, it held better than Shrek the Third, which plummeted 63 percent at the same point, and its cumulative gross crossed the $100 million mark.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time posted an uneventful estimated $10.2 million opening day on around 5,600 screens at 3,646 locations, which was a far cry from similar Memorial weekend releases like Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was even less than the last Mummy movie, which had a $15.2 million opening day.
Based on these numbers and history, Shrek Forever After is likely to come in at over $50 million for the four-day Memorial Day weekend, while Sex and the City 2 should land beneath $50 million. Prince of Persia is poised for less than $45 million.
In fourth place on Friday, Iron Man 2 dipped 42 percent to an estimated $4.4 million, again falling harder and making less than the first Iron Man did on the same day (it was down 37 percent to $5.4 million). Iron Man 2, though, still has an advantage in total gross at the 22-day point: $263 million to the first movie's $237.6 million.
Robin Hood rounded out the Top Five with an estimated $2.8 million. The Medieval epic was down 50 percent from last Friday, and its total stands at $75.5 million.
Meanwhile, MacGruber dove 71 percent in its second Friday to an estimated $460,000. In eight days, the Saturday Night Live adaptation has grossed just $6.1 million.
Related Story
• Weekend Briefing: Desert-set 'Sex,' 'Prince' Are Arid
Related Chart
• Daily Grosses for Friday, May 28
Making an estimated $13 million on approximately 6,100 screens at 3,445 locations, Sex and the City 2 slipped nine percent from its Thursday opening day and made less than half of its predecessor's $26.8 million on the same day two years ago. In two days, Sex has grossed $27.2 million, down from the first movie's $44.3 million two-day start. (Read the Weekend Briefing for analysis on why it's doing worse.)
While there was nothing exceptional about Shrek Forever After's hold, the animated sequel nonetheless performed relatively better than Sex and the City 2 and the other new release, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Shrek 4 bagged an estimated $11.4 million, off 45 percent from last Friday, but the gross was still low by Shrek standards. However, it held better than Shrek the Third, which plummeted 63 percent at the same point, and its cumulative gross crossed the $100 million mark.
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time posted an uneventful estimated $10.2 million opening day on around 5,600 screens at 3,646 locations, which was a far cry from similar Memorial weekend releases like Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It was even less than the last Mummy movie, which had a $15.2 million opening day.
Based on these numbers and history, Shrek Forever After is likely to come in at over $50 million for the four-day Memorial Day weekend, while Sex and the City 2 should land beneath $50 million. Prince of Persia is poised for less than $45 million.
In fourth place on Friday, Iron Man 2 dipped 42 percent to an estimated $4.4 million, again falling harder and making less than the first Iron Man did on the same day (it was down 37 percent to $5.4 million). Iron Man 2, though, still has an advantage in total gross at the 22-day point: $263 million to the first movie's $237.6 million.
Robin Hood rounded out the Top Five with an estimated $2.8 million. The Medieval epic was down 50 percent from last Friday, and its total stands at $75.5 million.
Meanwhile, MacGruber dove 71 percent in its second Friday to an estimated $460,000. In eight days, the Saturday Night Live adaptation has grossed just $6.1 million.
Related Story
• Weekend Briefing: Desert-set 'Sex,' 'Prince' Are Arid
Related Chart
• Daily Grosses for Friday, May 28
