The box office results for the weekend of March 8th – 10th sees Walt Disney yielding magic once again. Oz the Great and Powerful lived up to its name while Dead Man Down also lived up to its name…just not in the way it wanted. Here are the studio estimates:
1. Oz the Great and Powerful ($80.2 million)
2. Jack the Giant Slayer ($10 million)
3. Identity Thief ($6.3 million)
4. Dead Man Down ($5.3 million)
5. 21 and Over ($5 million)
6. Safe Haven ($3.8 million)
7. Silver Linings Playbook ($3.7 million)
8. Escape from Planet Earth ($3.2 million)
9. The Last Exorcism Part II ($3.1 million)
10. A Good Day to Die Hard ($2.1 million)
Analysis
It wasn’t a government secret that Oz the Great and Powerful was going to take the weekend. It was just a matter of how high could it soar? While impressive, it was not nearly as strong as previous March tent-poles in recent years (Alice in Wonderland, The Hunger Games). However, boasting the 3rd highest March opening ever, and with a guarantee overseas assist coming over the next few weeks, Disney & friends(investors) probably won’t be stressing over the $200 million it took to produced this 3D prequel to the 1939 cinematic class The Wizard of Oz.
As for Dead Man Down, uh, it’s already dead. Flop Alert dead. Ringing up a $30 million production bill, this crime-drama has followed the pattern of just about every other violent flick that has opened in 2013 (Bullet to the Head, The Last Stand). Apparently nobody wants to deal with this genre right now.
Silver Linings Playbook is now up to $120.7 million domestically. Credit this flick’s incredible staying power to strictly word-of-mouth.
Jack the Giant Slayer was the only other film to crack double figures, probably due to sold-out Oz screenings, as families used that as suitable alternate. It is now up to just $43.8 million and no magic seeds will help this financially grow high enough to offset the production budget of $195 million.
This Friday brings in what some may call “studio throwaways.” The incredible Burt Wonderstone will play the comedy card while The Call will try to dial in with thriller-like elements. Reviews will be right here my fellow Shockers!
