Weekend Box Office: 'Monsters vs. Aliens' has monster sized opening!

[The Clown Prince]

Dreamworks summer time type film released at the end of March proved to be a big hit. Monsters vs. Aliens debuted with $58.2 million and is now so far the biggest opener of 2009 having passed Watchmen's $55 million opening.

Doing well for itself on it's opening weekend was The Haunting in Connecticut with $23 million.

Last weeks champ Knowing dropped to third place with $14.7 million and a $46.2 million total.

Coming in fourth place was I Love You, Man with $12.6 million and a $37 million total.

And rounding out the top 5 is Duplicity with $7.5 million and a $25.6 million total.

Also opening this weekend was 12 Rounds which came in seventh place with $5.3 million.

Out of the 12 is Madea Goes to Jail (13th), Paul Blart: Mall Cop (14th) which leaves after 11 weeks in release, $825,000 this weekend and a $142.4 million total. Also gone is Coraline (20th).

Opening next weekend are two new movies. First up is Fast and Furious (rated PG-13). It's the fourth in the franchise and stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, John Ortiz, Laz Alonso, Gal Gadot, Shea Whigham, Tego Calderon, and Liza Lapira.

And the other new movie of the weekend is Adventureland (rated R) with Jesse Eisenberg, Ryan Reynolds, Kristen Stewart, Martin Starr, Paige Howard, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, and Margarita Levieva.

Here are your numbers....

1) Monsters vs. Aliens- $58,200,000 ($58,200,000) NEW!
2) The Haunting in Connecticut- $23,010,000 ($23,010,000) NEW!
3) Knowing- $14,705,000 ($46,220,000)
4) I Love You, Man- $12,600,000 ($37,007,000)
5) Duplicity- $7,556,000 ($25,639,000)
6) Race to Witch Mountain- $5,637,000 ($53,295,000)
7) 12 Rounds- $5,300,000 ($5,300,000) NEW!
8) Watchmen- $2,755,000 ($103,296,000)
9) Taken- $2,700,000 ($137,074,000)
10) Last House on the Left- $2,611,000 ($28,459,000)
11) Sunshine Cleaning- $1,344,000 ($2,548,000)
12) Slumdog Millionaire- $1,135,000 ($139,312,000)

[Old Guy]

Monsters vs. Aliens will be #1 again next weekend. My prediction:

1. Monsters vs Aliens
2. Adventureland
3. Fast & Furious
4. The Haunting in Connecticut
5. Knowing

[Ioz]

Originally Posted by Old Guy

Monsters vs. Aliens will be #1 again next weekend. My prediction:

1. Monsters vs Aliens
2. Adventureland
3. Fast & Furious
4. The Haunting in Connecticut
5. Knowing

I think Fast & Furious will be number 1 next week, but it won't have strong legs.

[Old Guy]

Originally Posted by Ioz

I think Fast & Furious will be number 1 next week, but it won't have strong legs.

I doubt it. People think this franchise is a joke. This was once a summer franchise and now it's being released in April. Monsters vs Aliens is a kids movie and those usually hold up well. And, Adventureland has college kid appeal.

[Lord Dalek]

Originally Posted by Old Guy

Monsters vs. Aliens will be #1 again next weekend.

Against Fast and Furious? Yeah, suuuuure.

[Tobias]

Haunting in Conneticut was a good scary flick, but I don't see it having long legs, either. Like every other scary movie, it'll probably start fading after this weekend, but I'm definately picking it up on DVD.

[J. B. Warner]

Not only is Monsters Vs. Aliens a family film, it's getting great reviews - people are billing it as DreamWorks' best animated feature yet. That word of mouth should probably translate to a successful second weekend too. Combine that with the whole 3-D draw, and I wouldn't be surprised if it stays at number one next week.

[Ioz]

Opening weekends:
The Fast & The Furious: 40.1 million
2 Fast 2 Furious (Walker, no Diesel): 50.5 million
Tokyo Drift (with no original cast members): 24.0 million

Fast & Furious (with the original cast members) will get the number 1 spot. There is a very slight chance it could fall to Monsters vs. Aliens, but no way does it fall to third.

[Lord Dalek]

Originally Posted by J. B. Warner

Not only is Monsters Vs. Aliens a family film, it's getting great reviews - people are billing it as DreamWorks' best animated feature yet.

From who? The general impression is its a typical Dreamworks "High on jokes, low on actual content" flick.

[Old Guy]

Originally Posted by Lord Dalek

Against Fast and Furious? Yeah, suuuuure.

The Fast and The Furious - $144.5 Million
2 Fast 2 Furious - $127 million
Tokyo Drift - $62.5 million

Notice the decline? Fast & Furious will be lucky if it opens with $10 million. The trailer may feature some cool action scenes, but the joke the franchise has become is hard to rub off. And, bringing back the original cast isn't gonna make a big difference. It's not as if people even loved the first one to begin with. The general opinion on the first one is, "it's Point Break with cars."

[RonDrakenfan17]

I've been wanting to see the movie, but no one besides me wants to see it

[J. B. Warner]

Originally Posted by Lord Dalek

From who? The general impression is its a typical Dreamworks "High on jokes, low on actual content" flick.

Hmm, I must be reading the handful of reviews that say otherwise. The Boston Herald called it the most Pixar-like film DreamWorks has ever done.

[Lord Dalek]

Originally Posted by Old Guy

The Fast and The Furious - $144.5 Million
2 Fast 2 Furious - $127 million
Tokyo Drift - $62.5 million

Notice the decline? Fast & Furious will be lucky if it opens with $10 million. The trailer may feature some cool action scenes, but the joke the franchise has become is hard to rub off. And, bringing back the original cast isn't gonna make a big difference. It's not as if people even loved the first one to begin with. The general opinion on the first one is, "it's Point Break with cars."

The reason 2F2F wasn't as big was a lack of Vin Diesel. That has been remedied. The reason Tokyo Drift wasn't big was it had nothing to do with the last two, that's why this film has nothing to do with it and everything to do with the first two. I think you're cruising towards embarrassment here sir.

[Old Guy]

Originally Posted by Lord Dalek

The reason 2F2F wasn't as big was a lack of Vin Diesel.

Or maybe because audiences didn't like the movie. Ioz just pointed out how the movie had a bigger opening weekend than the original. So, the lack of the Diesel didn't seem to bother audiences.

I think you're cruising towards embarrassment here sir.

This used to be a summer franchise. Now, it's being released in April. Even the studio knows that audiences don't care anymore. And, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker didn't become stars like they were expected. Diesel has only had 3 hit movies. And, Paul Walker...well...I don't think he's had any hits outside the franchise. So, it's not like audiences are going, "oh my God, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. I love them so much!"

[Shawn Hopkins]

Originally Posted by Old Guy

The Fast and The Furious - $144.5 Million
2 Fast 2 Furious - $127 million
Tokyo Drift - $62.5 million

Notice the decline? Fast & Furious will be lucky if it opens with $10 million. The trailer may feature some cool action scenes, but the joke the franchise has become is hard to rub off. And, bringing back the original cast isn't gonna make a big difference. It's not as if people even loved the first one to begin with. The general opinion on the first one is, "it's Point Break with cars."

Which one would you say is more homoerotic, Point Break or The Fast and The Furious?

[Old Guy]

Originally Posted by ShawnHopkins

Which one would you say is more homoerotic, Point Break or The Fast and The Furious?

Fast and Furious since it's difficult to get any real emotions out of Keanu Reeves.

[DarthGonzo]

Originally Posted by J. B. Warner

Not only is Monsters Vs. Aliens a family film, it's getting great reviews - people are billing it as DreamWorks' best animated feature yet.

I haven't heard anyone (anywhere) say that yet.

[Ioz]

If 2 Fast & 2 Furious can knock off Finding Nemo after its first week from the number 1 spot, then Fast & Furious can do it to Monsters vs. Aliens. It doesn't matter how successful Diesel & Walker have been outside of their Furious movies, it just matters that they are back. Tokoyo Drift was a sequel in name only yet it still made over 20 million its opening weekend. Fast & Furious definitely won't make only 10 million its first weekend.

[SirLemming]

People like cars to an almost inexplicable extent. People also like Vin Diesel. Fast & Furious is a definite contender for #1.

[The Wolverine]

Originally Posted by DarthGonzo

I haven't heard anyone (anywhere) say that yet.

Well... Bill Goodykoontz of the Arizona Republic (my local newspaper) didn't quite go that far, but he did give it 4 stars and says it's rather enjoyable and also that Kiefer Sutherland is better in this movie than he is in 24.