Well, it was a good run.
For 15 straight weeks, the No. 1 movies in North America had borne a PG-13 rating or lower—many of them which would even qualify as “family friendly.” Not since 21 Jump Street was bumped by The Hunger Games way back in March had an R-rated film stood atop the box office.
Until now, of course. Until Ted.
Ted, a hedonistic, foul-mouthed teddy bear, knocked the stuffing out of his competitors this week. The movie’s estimated $54.1 million was the most ever for a non-sequel, R-rated comedy (supplanting The Hangover’s $45 million). And while that kind of cash would be handled safely and wisely by most cuddly stuffed bears (though Winnie the Pooh would surely invest in some sort of honey conglomerate), I shudder to think about how Ted might spend his ill-gotten gains.
We received no relief from the R-rated heat at the No. 2 spot, either. The male-stripper flick Magic Mike took in $39.2 million, officially cementing 2012 as the year of star Channing Tatum. The guy’s been a part of three hit movies so far this year, including The Vow and the afore-mentioned 21 Jump Street.
This R-rated one-two punch thwacked Disney/Pixar’s Brave all the way down to third, though the feisty little redhead still managed to pocket a healthy $34 million—enough to propel the film north of $131 million in just two weeks (and buy a boatload of haggis).
The weekend’s third big newcomer, Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection, settled for fourth place and $26.4 million. Experts say that’s a bit less than Perry’s previous Madea movies, but still not too shabby. The film, after all, cost just an estimated $20 million to make according to Box Office Mojo.
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted rounds out the week’s Top 5. The two-time champ earned another $11.8 million.
Will Ted repeat at the top of the box office? Will Mike work some more magic and claim the No. 1 spot?
No way to say for sure … but my Spidey sense tells me no.
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