Box Office Report: In Memorium...uh, Day

Dude here again. Another disappointing holiday weekend has been bestowed upon us, full of motion pictures that disappoint both the studios that makes them and the audiences that see them. But that doesn't mean I can't slack off and tell you about the things that are disappointing.

Although, that would bring everything around full circle, in a never-ending ring of disappointment.

This weekend, it's 2004 all over again as a Jake Gylenhaal movie tries to take away from the Shrek juggernaut. Only with less impressive numbers this time around. Let's go to the numbers, shall we? (All in millions, remember, and these are the studio estimates. The actuals will be available on Tuesday, as these are holiday numbers).

1. Shrek Forever After (Par/DW) - $55.7, 4367 screens, week 2, $145.4 total

2. Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (BV) - $37.8, 3646 screens, week 1, $37.8 total

3. Sex and the City 2 (WB)- $37.1, 3445 screens, week 1, $51.3 total (Thurs Open)

4. Iron Man 2 (Par) - $20.6, 3804 screens, week 4, $279.1 total

5. Robin Hood (Uni) - $13.6, 3373 screens, week 3, $86.3 total

6. Letters to Juliet (Sum)- $7.2, 2825 screens, week 3, $37.9 total

7. Just Wright (FoxS)- $2.7, 1195 screens, week 3, $18.6 total

8. Date Night (Fox)- $2.2, 1126 screens, week 8, $93.9 total

9. MacGruber (Uni)- $1.9, 2546 screens, week 2, $7.5 total

10. How To Train Your Dragon (Par/DW) $1.4, 825 screens, week 10, $213.0 total

So those are the numbers, but what do they mean? Well, it means that Shrek continues on, attracting the kiddies and the parents on this long weekend. But not as many as previous incarnations. Could it be that people are sick of Shrek? Or of inflated movie prices? Did we give all our money to Avatar? Or are we as a culture developing taste?

More questions abound as we look at the other new releases this week. Prince of Persia would have had a very impressive debut, if this were August. Alas, this is Memorial Day weekend, and considering the price tag on this one, this is not so good. Yes, it received decent positive reviews, but my old roommate claimed it "boring". And as I've mentioned time and time again, when that guy doesn't like things, you KNOW it's probably bad. (Except Gentleman Broncos, he's way off on that).

And Sex and the City. I feel too much vitriol has been spent on that one, with far more clever people saying far more clever things than I could even be bothered to come up with. Still, Given that Sex opened on Thursday, and it is now a holiday weekend, and it's made almost as much as the original did in 3 days… well, you do the math.

NOthing much to note about the other deflating numbers of the big ticket items. IRon Man, Robin Hood, blah blah blah. But in all seriousness, let's hope that Date NIght continues chugging along to that $100 million goal, eh?

Below the radar, the latest from Jean-Pierre Juenet, Micmacs, opened up on 4 screens and took in $56,700. Impressive, but Agora opened on 2 screens and took in $43,200 bringing it the highest per screen average of all this weekend. Also, for some perspective, they re-released Breathless to the tune of $41,000. Now you know, and knowing is had that battle.

(The other half involves violence).

So there, you have my amazing break down. Next week, four mid-sized films try to change my opinion on this newly minted Summer of Disappointment! (Splice is one of those flicks, which gives hope, but the other movies are Killers with Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, and Marmaduke. If you listen carefully, you can hear me sigh from  wherever you are.

Until next weekend....

(All Numbers courtesy of Box Office Mojo)