Weekend US box office report: Alice In Wonderland breaks Avatar records

When I wrote a piece here at Den Of Geek about the most-awaited movies of 2010, I took a whole lot of flack for mentioning Alice In Wonderland.

A lot of you, and I can understand this, weren't really looking forward to it. I wasn't either; but if there's one thing I know, it's that people love familiar tales retold and they love 3-D movies. So, I'm not surprised that Alice In Wonderland took the top spot at the box office this weekend, even if I am surprised by its $116.3 million opening weekend.

That's more than every movie this past few months save, ugh, New Moon. Fittingly, Alice's box office was driven by record-high 3-D and IMAX screenings.

The proposed boycott by various international theater chains didn't seem to dampen Alice's box office globally, as the picture picked up an impressive $94 million worldwide. The highest non-US gross of the movie was in the UK. Disney says, "In your face, Odeon!"

After that kind of opening, it's a huge fall off to Brooklyn's Finest. While the movie had a fine second place opening of $13.5 million, I'd be remiss not to point out that that's $103 million less than the top movie at the box office and only $200,000 or so more than third place movie Shutter Island, which took in $13.3 million in its second week in the theaters.

Dropping to fourth place this weekend is Kevin Smith's Cop Out, which took in an additional $9.145 million. It's turned a neat profit so far, in spite of all the negative reviews (and my seemingly lone positive voice crying out in the wilderness that it's not as bad as everyone says). Shame this is Kevin Smith's biggest hit, but great that he'll probably get to keep working now.

Rounding out the top five is Avatar, which took in another $7.7 million this weekend. So far, in the US, it's taken in $720 million, which is just... staggering. Even after losing pretty much all its 3-D and IMAX gimmick screens, it still seems to be chugging along nicely. I wonder if its blanking for the top Oscars will harm it next week?

The big drop of the week goes to The Crazies, which dropped to sixth place from third last weekend. It picked up another $7 million at the box office, but that's a pretty big slide. As predicted, it's turned a fairly decent profit.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief drops out of the top five as well. It ups its US grosses to $78 million, thanks to a $5.1 million weekend, but continues to trend a little disappointing in the States versus its impressive international showing. Guess they can't all be Avatar, but it's kind of an ominous sign for sequels. Generally, if a film doesn't play very well in the US, it won't get a second go-around. See The Golden Compass.

Valentine's Day picked up another $4.2 million this weekend, good for eighth place. The movie crossed the $100 million threshold, as well, picking up $106 million. Fellow romance Dear John held onto the tenth place spot at the box office this weekend on a gross of $2.85 million.

Rising from tenth place last weekend is Crazy Heart, which gained both business and theaters in the build up to the Oscars and looks to gain more eyeballs thanks to Jeff Bridges' long-awaited win. The flick has picked up nearly $30 million so far, and grossed $3.350 million this weekend. That number will rise.

Another award-winner, The Blind Side, crossed the $250 million barrier this weekend, making it the top grossing sports movie of all time. At least until James Cameron comes out with Avatar 2, wherein a giant blue Na'vi is adopted by a crusty old white family to become a basketball star.

Coming out next weekend are the sub-American Pie sex comedy She's Out Of My League, the Bourne-light thriller Green Zone, the comedy Our Family Wedding, and the heart-fluttering romance Remember Me. I wouldn't put it past Robert Pattinson to somehow push Remember Me to the top of the box office new release pack, but I don't see him bypassing Alice quite yet. Unless Remember Me screens in 3-D Romance-o-vision, that is.