The Oscars clearly boosted box office numbers for The Artist, but the big story of course is Universal’s The Lorax. The film broke a number of records. It recorded the top opening in 2012, beating out The Vow’s 41.2 million debut. The project also was the best opening of an animated film since 2010, and is the fourth best opening for any Universal movie.
The Lorax is an enormous triumph for Universal as well as the film business. With the high cost of movie tickets, box office sales took a major hit last year – dampening the family marketplace. This year, revenues are up nearly 30 percent, marking the 9th straight week of growth.
Nikki Rocco, Universal’s President of Domestic Distribution said, “The result is phenomenal. Word of mouth was great and that’s why Saturday was up 80 percent from Friday. It’s just spectacular.”
Dr. Seuss first published The Lorax in 1971. The big screen adaptation is voiced by Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Ed Helms and Betty White.
Weekend Box Office:
March 2, 2012 – March 4, 2012
| Title | Studio | Weekend | Theaters | Total | Week | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax | Universal Pictures |
$70,720,000
|
3,728
|
$70,720,000
|
1
|
||
| Project X | Warner Bros. Pictures |
$20,775,000
|
3,055
|
$20,700,000
|
1
|
||
| Act of Valor | Relativity Media |
$13,700,000
|
3,053
|
$45,239,350
|
2
|
||
| Safe House | Universal Pictures |
$7,212,000
|
2,553
|
$108,176,700
|
4
|
||
| Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds | Lionsgate |
$7,000,000
|
2,132
|
$25,744,600
|
2
|
||
| Journey 2: The Mysterious Island | New Line Cinema (Warner Bros. Pictures) |
$6,925,000
|
3,060
|
$85,611,500
|
4
|
||
| The Vow | Screen Gems (Sony) |
$6,100,000
|
2,826
|
$111,712,350
|
4
|
||
| This Means War | 20th Century Fox |
$5,625,000
|
2,342
|
$41,463,600
|
3
|
||
| Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance | Columbia Pictures (Sony) |
$4,700,000
|
2,487
|
$44,880,700
|
3
|
||
| The Artist | The Weinstein Company |
$3,900,000
|
1,756
|
$37,088,400
|
15
|
||
| Wanderlust | Universal Pictures |
$3,753,750
|
2,002
|
$12,394,560
|
2
|
||
| Gone | Summit Entertainment |
$3,050,000
|
2,186
|
$8,998,000
|
2
|
