Heading into the 2013 movie year, theater chains were lamenting that this was going to be a horrible year for movie attendance. Their news of the Hollywood demise was greatly exaggerated. Iron Man 3 has already moved into fifth place all-time with $1.142 billion worldwide, and the Memorial Day weekend box office just shattered all records with $317 million.
The previous record was 2011 when the Memorial Day weekend box office totaled $276.7 million. It is clear that theater chains have no idea what movie fans want to see.
Kicking things off, Fast & Furious 6 made $120 million over the Memorial Day weekend box office, to move its worldwide total to an astonishing $317. That has to be one of the highest takes ever for a sixth edition in a movie franchise, and really outside of James Bond, has any franchise been able to say that?
Next up, theater chains asked studios for less R-rated films, because they said people didn’t want to see them. They said that after Ted shattered the box office last year. Now, this year – even after a lackluster second edition – The Hangover: Part III made an impressive $82.2 million worldwide for second place at the Memorial Day weekend box office.
Star Trek Into Darkness continued on, with a $47 million holiday weekend to increase its worldwide take to $257.9 million.
The new animated film Epic opened with a $42.6 million Memorial Day weekend box office. It never screened for the press here, and the lack of promotion as a result is what probably held it down compared to similar animated films.
Iron Man 3 ranked fifth with $24.3 million and then The Great Gatsby finished the Memorial Day weekend box office with $17.0 million.
And this year was supposed to be a horrible year for movies?
Source: Deadline
