After last week's record breaking weekend for The Avengers, it seemed unlikely that Dark Shadows would be any kind of match. The Avengers once again took the top spot, earning $103 million and bringing its domestic total to $373.1 million. This easily breaks the $75.6 million record Avatar held for the biggest second weekend gross.
Dark Shadows took second place and performed below expectations with $28.8 million. Even though the movie has received poorly by critics, it seems more like poor planning on the part of Warner Bros. Those who have seen it know that it isn't a big summer event movie and it could have stood a better chance with a release later this year. With the first trailer having been released only 2 months before the film hit theaters, it would appear that the studio didn't have faith in the film.
For those who enjoy following box office numbers, next weekend will be an interesting match when Universal releases Battleship. While there has been a huge marketing push for the movie, it hasn't been tracking very well and will be released into fewer screens than The Avengers (4,300+ vs. 3,750). If The Avenger's third weekend drop is about the same as it was this weekend, we're looking at $40 - $50 million next weekend.
Here are your top 10 results for this weekend:
1. The Avengers - $103,163,000
2. Dark Shadows - $28,805,000
3. Think Like A Man - $6,300,000
4. The Hunger Games - $4,400,000
5. The Lucky One - $4,055,000
6. The Pirates! Band of Misfits - $3,200,000
7. The Five-Year Engagement - $3,100,000
8. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - $2,650,000
9. Chimpanzee - $1,624,000
10. Girl in Progress - $1,350,000