Box Office Results: March 22-24

Dreamworks animated The Croods opened right on path with my prediction, topping the box office with an estimated $43.6 million, on pace with my $44.3M estimate. Gold star for Todd! The picture has a bright road ahead as it averaged an impressive “A” Cinemascore grade and has the benefit of kids being out of school with the Easter holiday approaching.

The White House action thriller Olympus Has Fallen also delivered a rock solid opening, earning an estimated $30.3 million, slightly above my $27.8M projection. Olympus brings great news for star Gerard Butler, who’s starred in a series of flops since his big breakout in 2007 with 300. It will be interesting to see how White House Down, a similarly plotted action flick with Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, fares in June when it debuts. With an “A-” Cinemascore grade, Olympus seems to have audiences on its side.

In its third weekend, Oz The Great and Powerful fell to #3, grossing $21.5 million – just above my $20.7M projection. The film has amassed a giant $178 million since its opening. In its sophomore frame, Halle Berry’s The Call was fourth with $8.9 million, just below my $10M estimate.

Landing with a thud in the five spot is Admission with Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. As I mentioned in my predictions post, the marketing for this one seemed soft and a lackluster debut seemed likely. Admission managed a weak $6.1 million, below my $7.6M projection. With a discouraging “B-” Cinemascore grade, it will fade fest and be available for your On Demand viewing quickly.

Finally, I overestimated Spring Breakers, the indie comedy with James Franco, Selena Gomez, and Vanessa Hudgens. The film has an impressive limited opening last weekend. This translated to a pretty good wide release, grossing $4.8 million on only approximately 1,000 screens. It did not reach the lofty $6.8M that I projected.

Be sure to check back this week for predictions for the Easter Holiday frame when G.I. Joe: Retaliation, The Host, and Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor all enter the competition. Stay tuned, my friends!