Image Credit: Rhythm and Hues
Moviegoers finally embraced the world’s most under-appreciated superhero, the Easter Bunny, as Hop surpassed industry expectations and grossed $11.4 million on Friday, according to early estimates. Universal’s $63 million family comedy, about the Easter Bunny’s rebellious teenage son, is on pace for a $38 million opening weekend, which would give it the fifth best April debut ever. The PG movie was produced by Illumination Entertainment, whose first film, last summer’s Despicable Me, also exceeded expectations by earning $56.4 million its first weekend.
The $32 million sci-fi thriller Source Code took second place with $5 million on Friday. The well-reviewed PG-13 film, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a soldier who repeatedly relives the last eight minutes of another man’s life in an attempt to prevent an imminent Chicago bombing, should finish the weekend with a sturdy, but not spectacular, $14 million. That result will trail the openings of other recent adult thrillers, such as Unknown ($21.9 million), The Adjustment Bureau ($21.2 million), and Limitless ($18.9 million). Still, it’s an encouraging start for a film that is, at its core, about quantum mechanics.
Third place went to the horror film Insidious, which also performed better than expected by collecting $4.8 million on Friday. The PG-13 movie, the first from the new distributor FilmDistrict, cost only $1 million to produce, and will finish the weekend with about $12 million. The Bradley Cooper thriller Limitless was in fourth with $3 million — a 35 percent drop from last Friday. And Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules fell 62 percent to round out the top five with $2.8 million. But if you’re looking for a really catastrophic decline, the fantasy action picture Sucker Punch plummeted 76 percent from last Friday, taking in only $1.9 million yesterday. Check back here on Sunday for the complete box office report.
1. Hop — $11.4 mil
2. Source Code — $5.0 mil
3. Insidious — $4.8 mil
4. Limitless — $3.0 mil
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules — $2.8 mil
Box office preview: Hop to leap over the competition
America embraces quality
You could say Hop hopped away with $11 million.
HI-YOOOOOOO!!!
Yes, but why would you?
Embraces quality? Hop was pretty well trashed by critics. I expect a steep decline for that one.
I had no idea so many people would want to see Hop. Then again, it is a talking animal movie a la Alvin and the Chipmunks and Yogi Bear.
At least Alvin and the Chipmunks was bearable as Yogi Bear was by far the worst movie of 2010. Hop was actually not bad.
Honestly, I hated the Alvin and the Chipmunks reboot so much that I never even bothered to watch the sequel. I don’t know whether or not I am going to see Yogi Bear or Hop.
I’m mostly just worried about the Smurfs- taking them out of the woods and putting them in a contemporary New York City setting seems both like a terrible idea and a lost opportunity
No offense, Tom, but are you truly worried about the Smurfs? I hope you’re extremely young. Like, so young that you have to wait until your parents are asleep before you use the computer.
Ugh – the chimpunks were annoying when the novely first started over 40 years ago and they’re even more annoying now. Honestly, someone should have gassed the vermin by now.
Okay. I just got back from “Hop”. While the three 8 year olds I took found it funny, I could only sit though it picturing James Marsden shirtless. A truly bad movie. I loved Marsden in “Enchanted”- please give this guy a decent role (and find one for Elizabeth Perkins, too!)
ANd by the way, the theatre was sold out for a 2:00 show.
How many were there to see James Marsden shirtless?
Wished more people would check out Source Code — it was a pretty good movie and well worth a trip to the theater.
Source Code was TERRIFIC…and by far the best film on the list here. Highly recommend it for anyone looking for a thrill-ride similar to Inception.
Glad to see that the butchered version – ahem, sorry, I mean the PG-13 version of ‘The King’s Speech’ is not listed among the top grossers. That really was a dumb idea, the original was perfect.
It is a dumb idea but it’s not why TKS is not listed among the top grossers. The R-rated version fell out of top 10 last week because it has been reduced to 1000 screens, a third less than its competition.
HOP is a family movie..parents and various bunches of kids will be going. Those always do well and some of them are good but it doesn’t always mattter.
Source Code will most likely get good word of mouth and it will keep it doing well for a while. And i think it will have people going back to see it again.
I saw Sucker Punch for the third time. What can I say, I loved it.
If there were 50 Million more People like you Sucker Punch might make it’s money back. I’m guessing there was only about 10 people in theater with you. 30 days til Thor
You sir have no taste than.
You sir, are clearly an ignorant person who deams your opinion the only worthy one. I enjoyed Sucker Punch but I also accept negative opinions of it as no everyone likes the same thing. However, I don’t accept people who don’t have the imagination to understand not everyone thinks the same thing.
I could see Source Code having good legs via word-of-mouth like Unstoppable did last year. With an opening of $14m, it could reach a respectable $60m if interest holds with the very positive critical response. I was expecting a steep decline with Sucker Punch, but that far a drop on a Friday night is pretty catastrophic regarding its final weekend total.
It looks like all the Sucker Punch apologists have egg on their face. That garbage dump of a movie got what it deserved, one of the worst 2nd weeks you could ask for.
Who cares about how bad Sucker Punch is doing. Amy Adams is playing Lois Lane
It’s not that big of a surprise that HOP is nr 1. It’s even less surprising that some people here always seem to grumbel about americans having so bad taste in movies with so so quality. I am not an american, and even I call bs on that one. Its a worldwide thing. Deal with it.
Thank you. I’m sick of hearing that only Americans have terrible taste. These stupid blockbuster are hugely popular all over the world.
Not only that most people dont realize that when they look at the weekend totals it also includes Canada, not just the USA. I guess both countries have no taste in movies.
I’ve heard Source Code is pretty good. It’s got an 88% on RT right now. I haven’t seen a film with a rating that high in a loooong time.
Yeah, I may have to check that out.
Insideous was great!A very creepy,jump out of your seat scare.Was even better than I expected!Going to see Source code tonight.
INSIDIOUS was so much fun! Everyone in the theater was alternately laughing and gasping and screaming in terror and my hands are still sore from squeezing the arm rests of my chair.
once again….except a few…..only the haters post
Source Code:
An action thriller AND a date movie!!!
I am not suprised that Hop has done so well; it is the Spring break, so parents will probably be attracted to the idea of taking the kids out to see a cute seasonal movie in the holidays.
I think when the kids go back to school Hop will drop slightly, but I think it still will have strong weekend grosses – and considering it is the build up to Easter, I still think it will do well.
After Easter Hop will see a large decrease, but that is over three weeks away, which is enough time to gross more then enough to surpass and double it’s budget.
I think after Easter, Universal need to market it more as a movie about bunnies, instead of Easter, but before Easter they should do the opposite.
Source Code I doubt will reach the number one spot unlike Hop, but it will stay strong for a long time I can predoct due to strong word of mouth.
Sucker Punch will soon die down, and WB will be very lucky if it surpasses it’s budget. The novelty of hot girls holding guns has long gone, and now all it is a desperate, bad movie.
America loves crap.