Game over, man.
Disney Animation’s Wreck-It Ralph, about an old-school videogame villain who’s tired of being the (literal) fall guy, made the week’s box office competition a no-doubt route. The sweet (but occasionally crass) fable collected an estimated $49.1 million—or more than 196 million quarters.
The victory nearly doubled up on Flight, the weekend’s second-place film. Denzel Washington’s well-received drama avoided crashing and burning (much like his plane). Instead, it coasted to a $25 million weekend, which should be just enough to cover the movie crew’s bag fees (and maybe have enough left over to buy a bag of contraband honey-roasted peanuts).
But not every newcomer had a successful opening-weekend ride. The Man With the Iron Fists, rapper RZA’s directorial debut, proved to be the film with the tinny impact at the box office, hacking and slashing its way to a very bloody $8.2 million. Moviegoers who were looking for a little action were more prone to pony up for Argo (which boasted just a little action), now in its fourth strong week. Argo collected another $10.4 million to top Iron Fists for third place.
Speaking of holdovers, Taken 2 rounded out the weekend’s Top 5, taking $6 million to best the big-budget indie flick Cloud Atlas.
So, feel free to toot your electronic horn for Ralph this week … because there’s very little chance that he’ll derail the return of 007 to U.S. screens next weekend.
Skyfall, the 23rd official James Bond film, has already opened in much of the rest of the world, soaring to $287 million in 10 days. The dapper superspy has sprinted to the equivalent of $85.8 million in the United Kingdom, $30 million in France and has opened at No. 1 throughout much of the free world (and some of the unfree world, too). I kinda doubt that the United States will prove to be an exception. Box office prognosticators believe that Bond may collect around $200 million in its opening weekend here—which just might challenge The Avengers’ all-time record $207.4 million.
Prepare to be shaken, if not stirred.
Final figures update: 1. Wreck-It Ralph, $49.0 million; 2. Flight, $24.9 million; 3. Argo, $10.2 million; 4. The Man With the Iron Fists, $7.9 million; 5. Taken 2, $5.9 million.
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